Her Soldier (Rivetra AU)
by TakeruDream
Summary: *Complete* Petra is a barista who has lost her way and is struggling to figure her life out. Levi is training in a program designed for future soldiers with the most promising skill sets. Petra refers to him as "her soldier" subconsciously because even though he comes into the cafe everyday she doesn't know his name.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note**: This is the first time I have written fanfiction with the intent to post it in years, literally since like 2008. So I am a little nervous. I posted this on my Tumblr last night, in case you happened to see it there.

**Overview:** This is an AU fic where Petra is a barista who has lost her way in life. She dropped out of college, without her father's knowledge and she's trying to figure herself out. Levi is training to become a soldier in a basic training program designed for those with the promising skill sets.

Levi is a regular patron at the café Petra works at. She refers to him subconsciously as "her solider" because she doesn't know his name even though she seems him every day.

They're both a little lost, but maybe together they can find their way.

**Her Soldier (Rivetra AU)**

Some days passed by like a blur; so fast she could scarcely remember to breathe. Other days trickled by so slowly she felt like she was suffocating because it allowed her mind time to wander and dwell where if should not.

Today was one of those days. She let out a sigh and leaned her elbows against the cool counter that neighbored the cash register.

She gazed out across the lobby before her. Cozy was the only word she could think of to adequately describe the space. The wooden walls reminded her of a cabin and it was filled with plush arm chairs.

The café was a comfortable place to pause and reenergize. It let people escape reality if only for a few moments.

That's how she'd found this place, it had saved her when she moved to this town and now it felt more like home than her lonely apartment.

chime

The door opened and shook the thoughts out of her head, forcing her to snap to attention.

"Good—" and she saw it was him. She swallowed the rest of her greeting and turned on her heels.

She grabbed a large cup and busied herself making his coffee. Behind her she could hear he'd reached the counter by the subtle shift of his wool coat.

She always began making his order the second she saw him enter because he always ordered the same thing. Their dance was constant. He came in, she made his coffee, and then he slunk away to the plush red arm chair in the corner. It was situated by the window that faced the base. No words were required in their transaction. She figured that was the way he liked it. When he'd first started coming in he would utter his order in a gruff voice with clipped words.

He did not invite conversation and she did not push it.

Turning back to him she held out his coffee. He took it and handed her the exact change for his order. Then he tipped her directly instead of slipping it in the tip jar, just like clockwork.

Their dance ended as he made his way to the back of the cafe, settling in to stare out the window in a contemplative manner.

She knows she shouldn't watch him but she couldn't help it.

There was something about his quiet demeanor. He had these tired dark eyes, clean cut black hair, and stiff posture. So much about him was dark and uninviting, but that just made her want to know more.

One thing she could say for herself was she had always a "people watcher". She liked the thrill of mystery.

He was a soldier, had to be with that air of discipline. Well, maybe he was a soldier in training. The army base across the way had a basic training program for only the most promising recruits— or so she'd heard, anyway.

Aside from that she couldn't really tell much about him. He was so quiet and private.

Her thoughts were once again interrupted by a line of customers; they kept her so busy that she couldn't watch her soldier which made her a lot sadder than she cared to admit.

By the time she'd served the two families, the lobby was full and she was exhausted. There were three small children running about the store and the mothers weren't minding them one bit. This caused her to purse her lips, she couldn't stand when parents let their kids run wild because they could easily trip and get hurt.

As if they universe had heeded her thoughts one little girl with brown pigtails bumped into the table near her soldier.

She gasped, watching the scene as if it were in slow motion. The coffee toppled over and he reached forward in an effort to stop it. But he was too late. It spilled all over the table and his sharply creased dress pants.

She was moving before she realized it, rag and cleaner in her hand. The mother of the child did nothing more than call he daughter to her, she offered no apology.

"I'm sorry." She said in her place, fighting back the urge to throw the rude women a scornful look. She knelt down beside the table and began mopping up the mess. "Would you like me to make you another coffee?"

"That won't be necessary, Petra." She stiffened. How did he know her name? Oh, name tag. Right.

"I need to get another rag." Petra announced, mostly to herself. Her soldier took the one she was using out of her hand and took over the mess.

"Grab two to be safe." He advised.

Why was she so shaky on her feet? Had his voice always been that attractive? She grabbed the rags from behind the counter and when she returned her soldier took the rags from her.

"I can handle this." He mopped off his pants and continued wiping down the table.

"But, sir— uh." She realized how awkward she sounded and looked down.

"It's okay." He said shortly and left no room for her to respond. She shifted uncomfortably but finally nodded.

She didn't know if she should stay or return to the counter. She found herself watching him spray the cleaner and meticulously wipe down the mess. At the end of it the table and nearby area all but sparkled.

Neat freak, she decided suddenly. He cleaned that table better than she ever had.

"Thank you." She said holding her hands out for the rags. He handed them over with a soft 'hmm.' Unsure of herself she turned and walked away.

"Petra." She turned and looked back at him. He was standing, returning his black pea coat to his shoulders. "My name's Levi."

"Levi." She said uncertainly, testing the waters with a nod as he began moving toward the exit. "Have a good night."

He paused, with his hand resting on the door handle. Petra could all but taste her heart, maybe she pushed her luck.

"You as well." He said shortly, exiting the lobby.

As she watched his back disappear she realized she couldn't hide the smile on her face if she tried.

**Note**: I have all intents to continue this; I am already working on the next part. Don't be afraid to tell me what you think, also let me know if I made any typos I am a very sloppy with typing. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note**: Thanks for the reviews and story follows! This portion was also posted to my Tumblr.

**Overview**: Levi doesn't show up to the café one day and Petra is surprisingly worried. Also, she manages to learn a little more about him when she over hears a conversation between some soldiers from the base.

**Her Solider: Chapter 2**

Since the day he told her his name their dance switched up slightly. Now when Levi entered the café she was met with a "good morning" or "good afternoon" instead of silence. Sometimes she was even given a nod with a hint of a smile.

Petra liked this dance a lot better. She knew it would probably sound silly if she said it aloud, but she felt like she had accomplished something. All she had done was help him clean up a mess yet she couldn't help but feel as if she gained his respect.

And that could not be an easy feat.

Though she was probably thinking too much into it, which was another tendency of hers.

It was getting late in the afternoon and Levi hadn't come in. She could not recall a day that he didn't show up before her shift ended since the first day she ever waited on him.

Anxiously, she watched the clock as it ticked on towards four.

She sighed, resigned to the fact that he simply wasn't coming.

The clock hit four and Oluo arrived to relieve her.

Half of her couldn't help but feel disappointed while the other half wondered what happened. He didn't seem to be the type of person who deviated from his routine

He visited the Café on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday around 9:30 am. On Tuesday and Thursday he would come in around 1. She wasn't sure if he came in on Saturday or Sunday because those were her days off.

Today was Tuesday, so where was he?

As she down the sidewalk contemplating his whereabouts a voice pulled her away from her thoughts.

"Petra?" She froze.

Levi was standing there, eyes wide. He was bundled in his pea coat with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Petra was surprised to see he looked so much unlike himself. His eyes were bleary and his hair uncharacteristically unkempt.

"Levi! I wondered where you were today." Oh, if she could slap herself she would.

How could she have just said that?

But he didn't seem to pay her comment much attention.

"You're off work?" She knows he meant is as more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, I got off at 4."

It felt intensely awkward to talking with him without the wooden walls of her café around her and the counter between them.

He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"This has been an off day." He muttered, so she wasn't sure if she was supposed to acknowledge it. "I will see you in the morning."

And with that he turned around headed back up the sidewalk. He crossed the street at the corner and headed back to the military base.

"Was he going to the café? Wait. Did he skip his coffee because I wasn't there?" she asked herself quietly as she walked.

Surely she was over thinking this. If she kept along this thought pattern she would have herself convinced that he only came to the café to see her. And there was no way that was the case. Seriously, it took months before he even spoke to her aside from placing his order.

Once she reached her apartment she sighed. It was Tuesday night and the neighbors above her were throwing a party. College must be a blast for them, she thought bitterly.

Which brought her back to something she liked to keep pushed away in the back of her mind.

How much longer could she hide the fact that she'd dropped out of college from her father? She felt like she was stabbing him in the back every time she told him classes were going "good".

It just wasn't her thing. She couldn't help how she felt. It felt like college was suffocating her. Where would school get her anyway? Who could prove that a piece of paper would fulfill her in life?

Would it make her happy? If someone could prove to her that graduating from college would guarantee her happiness she would have been more apt to finish.

But as it was school made her unhappy, it was a lot of stress and pressure.

She was surprised at how free she felt the moment she threw her hands up and walked away.

Working at the café might not be viewed as 'great' but it worked for her.

The café kept her busy. Plus, she got to enjoy watching her soldier and so many other people.

She was rewarded by the appreciative smiles her customers gave her.

On top of everything else the job helped her pay her rent.

Well, she would have to tell her dad eventually. Come next semester he would be inquiring about her tuition and she wouldn't be able to lie anymore.

The next day Levi entered the café promptly at 9:30.

"Good morning." He looked better than he did yesterday, which warmed Petra's heart.

"Good morning, Petra." He said, offering her a small nod.

She made his coffee and watched as he went to his normal seat.

He stayed for almost an hour and then left with a quiet wave in her direction.

It wasn't much longer after a tall blonde headed man entered with two companions. She guessed from their outfits that they were soldiers from Levi's base.

As she was making their beverages she couldn't help but listen into their conversation.

"That's close to my predicament." The blonde man said with a sigh. "I have this one kid that's short and a little mouthy. You wouldn't expect it but he excels at everything. He's literally aced every part of the program, the best by far. Yet, I can't get him to make a decision on a path."

"That's rough, Commander Smith. He obviously makes the effort to apply himself, so why won't he choose?" The brunette to his left asked.

"I don't know. He's not very sociable. He could go into Special Forces, infantry- it wouldn't matter. He would rise right through the ranks. No matter what he does he would establish a career and he has his pick."

"Do you think he's just afraid?"

"No, Levi isn't afraid of anything." That really piqued her interest. "I don't know what is holding him up. He knows he has to make a decision by the time he completes the program in May."

"Levi. That's the kid with the rough past, isn't it?" The brunette asked. "Do you think support is an issue?"

"I don't know, maybe." The commander sighed again. "I have tried to be supportive myself. Told him that my door is always open and I will answer all the questions he has but he never takes me up on it. Yesterday I had him go to a number of educational seminars."

"Well, he'll have to make a decision eventually. Maybe he just doesn't care where he ends up or about anything in his life at all."

The woman's words ran through Petra's mind "_Maybe he just doesn't care…"_

She thought of how frazzled he looked yesterday. It looked like his day full of seminars caused him a lot of stress. If Petra had to guess, he probably cared a lot more than he let on.

They took their coffee to go and left leaving Petra wondering more about her soldier than ever before.

**Notes**: I am already typing away at the next part of this, I know the chapters are a little short but it helps me keep my focus. Than for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors note**: I really didn't think I would finish the next section of this tonight. Whoops. I was in a serious writing mood.

**Overview: **Valentine's Day weekend hits and Petra is dreading it because the Military Ball the base throws makes the café extremely busy. On Valentines Day her solider asks her a question that sends her heart into a panic and causes her to forget all about dreading work.

* * *

**Her Soldier- Chapter 3**

Petra hadn't returned her father's phone call from the night before.

She hated that she felt like she had to avoid him but she didn't like lying to him.

While she was putting her coat on for work she glanced at the calendar.

She had until May at the latest before her father brought up tuition.

It was nearly halfway through February.

She knew she was going to disappoint her father, but what could he do? He couldn't make her go to school. He would have to forgive her, right? Oh, it was too early for this.

Suddenly she was thankful it was Friday because Levi would be in early.

Her soldier would surely brighten her mood.

However, once she got to work she realized something.

Oluo was there waiting for her, which meant it was Valentine's Day weekend.

Valentine's Day weekend meant the base was having their Military Ball. There would be a lot of wives and girlfriends in town.

They were going to be so busy.

She sighed, trying to mentally prepare herself for the day ahead.

Once 9:30 rolled around she was restocking napkins and creamer in front of the counter.

She saw Levi enter out of the corner of her eye, Oluo was at the register so she kept stocking. A few moments passed and she realized he never reached the counter.

He was standing near the door watching her silently.

"Good morning, Levi." She said with a smile, trying to ignore how fast her heart was beating.

"Petra." He greeted.

She would be a liar if she said she hated the way he said her name.

Once she realized she had been staring at him for five seconds too long she grew embarrassed. Was he waiting for her to make his coffee?

"You want the usual, right?" She asked, walking around the counter. "I've got him Oluo. You wanna finish the napkins?"

"Yea, sure Ral." He said, leaving the counter to her.

It was then that Levi approached.

"You're busy." He pointed out.

"Yea, that ball at the base is bringing us a lot of customers. I wasn't here last year, I heard rumors but I still didn't think it would be this bad." Petra said idly as she made his coffee.

"It is crowded on base to." He said with a frown, looking over toward his window that faced the base. Petra glanced with him and noticed his regular seat was taken by a young recruit and his blonde headed girlfriend. "I will be glad when this weekend is behind me."

"You and me both." She said, handing him his coffee. "I never work the weekend, but with the ball it's 'all hands on deck.'"

"It's inconveniencing us both, it seems." He tipped her and with one more glance towards his corner he turned toward the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'm looking forward to it!"

What was wrong with her? Why would she say that? She clenched her fists.

To her surprise he actually smiled before slipping out of the door. It was only for a second, but she saw it.

"Who was that?" Oluo asked.

"Levi."

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend." He said teasingly

"He's not my boyfriend, he's a customer. Come on, he comes in here every day." Petra was suddenly conscious of how defensive she sounded.

"Well I've never seen him before."

"Really?" Petra was a little stunned. "He doesn't come in on the weekends?"

"Not that I recall, no." Oluo said honestly. "I'm pretty sure I would remember him."

Yet when he found out she would be working tomorrow he said he would be there.

Maybe he was- no.

She was over thinking this again.

Pushing thoughts of Levi out of her head, she trudged through the rest of her shift.

It may have been Valentine's Day for everyone else in the world, but for Petra it was hell.

She was tired of drawing hearts on cappuccinos and if she ever saw a red or pink heart shaped sprinkle again she was going to scream.

"Can we get two of the Sweetheart Frappuccino's?"

Repressing the urge to scream she went to work, not even bothering to clean up the red and pink sprinkles that littered the counter.

If she didn't already know the ball was tonight she would have figured it out from the number of up-dos and elaborate make up jobs she saw.

At least someone was getting to enjoy the day.

Throughout her shift she found herself checking the door when it opened to see if it was Levi who entered. Since it was Saturday she didn't know when to expect him. It made her a little anxious, but she couldn't pin point why.

Finally around three he came strolling in. The lobby was full again, including his seat, but Petra was beginning to think he wouldn't stay even if his beloved chair was free.

It was way too loud in there.

"Hi!" Wow, she sounded way too enthusiastic.

"Hello." He nodded slightly. "When do you get off?"

"Uh, what?" She said quickly.

"Of work." He said calmly.

"Four." Her voice raised an octave in confusion.

"Are you doing anything tonight?"

She blinked slowly, completely frozen with an empty cup in her hand. She knew she had to answer but she couldn't quite get her head around what was happening.

"No." It came out a little sharp but she was nervous and confused and what exactly did he think he was doing?

"I'm trying to stay as far away from the base as possible tonight." He said. Petra stayed frozen, completely unsure of what to say or even think. "You should come with me."

"O—okay." She stammered out finally.

"I'll wait for you, then."

He went and sat down with his coffee she scarcely remembered making and for once in her life she didn't stop to observe him. She was far too absorbed in her own mental battle.

What did this mean?

This was definitely at the bottom of this list of what she expected to happen today.

It was Valentine's Day.

Was this a date?

No, no.

She needed to corral her thoughts before they went down that path.

It sounded more like they were just hanging out.

Friends hang out.

They _were_ friends, right?

Hanging out was not a date.

But, it still could be a date couldn't it?

She didn't even know what they were doing.

Her heart was full of panic.

How could he just casually ask her to go with him?

And now, he was sitting there calmly sipping on coffee while she was freaking out.

The next thing she knew the hour was gone. After she clocked out she tried desperately to soothe her nerves as she grabbed her purse and headed towards him.

"Coat?" He inquired.

"What?"

"Your coat." He nodded towards outside. "It's cold out."

"Oh." She looked down at her bare arms. Duh, she'd left it in the break room. "I'll be right back."

She groaned inwardly, rushing away to hide her embarrassment.

How was she going to make it through the night?

* * *

**Notes**: Thanks for all the feedback so far. As always, let me know if there are any typos. I am a terrible typist.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Notes:**I have greatly appreciated all the feedback! I hope you enjoy this chapter; it kind of got away from me. It's very dialogue heavy, so I apologize in advance.

**Overview:** Petra and Levi spend Valentine's Day evening together and learn more about each other.

* * *

**Her Soldier: Chapter 4**

They walked together in silence.

Brisk air surrounded them and chilled Petra straight down to the bone.

She had no idea where they were going and didn't dare to ask. It seemed like he already has a destination in mind and who was she to question it? She had agreed to go along with him so she walked quietly by his side.

One thing that surprised her was the silence. It actually didn't bother her. Normally she would feel awkward, but for whatever reason it wasn't like that at all.

It was comfortable.

"Are you hungry?" He asked suddenly.

"I am." She realized that she hadn't eaten all day thanks to work being hell on earth. Now that she was conscious of it she was starving.

"Hmm."

It was then Petra realized they were almost in town.

"Everywhere is going to be packed tonight." She realized. Between the military ball and college sweethearts she wasn't sure town would be the place to go.

"I'm hoping my favorite place isn't." He said.

As they continued to walk in silence Petra couldn't help but wonder how she ended up with Levi tonight.

What provoked him to ask her out?

Well not like 'ask her out' ask her out. Okay, was getting ahead of herself again.

Maybe she should just ask him.

Yea, that was a good idea!

You never know anything unless you ask.

"Hey, Levi?" She started hesitantly

"Yes?" He looked her way and suddenly she couldn't find words.

Just like that her courage was gone.

"Never mind." She said quickly, but he wouldn't look away.

"What is it?" His dark eyes stayed on her.

"I was just wondering what made you ask me out tonight—I mean, you know, to hang out." She stumbled over her words and wanted to kick herself.

As usual, Levi over looked her struggle.

"You looked like you needed a distraction." He said simply.

"Huh?"

"I could see that work was hectic for you today. Not to mention that for the past few months you've been on edge." He said, finally turning his gaze forward.

Petra just walked beside him in stunned silence. She thought that she had been managing to hide her inner turmoil while at work. Had Levi really picked up on it?

Maybe he was watching her in the same way she watched him?

"Besides, I needed a distraction to." He said nonchalantly.

"I imagine so, with the ball and— oh." She had almost mentioned what she overheard from Commander Smith the other day. "Well, just the base in general."

"Yes." Was all he said and they returned to their silent walk.

Petra wasn't sure she could be any more confused. There was so much she wanted to know, but she knew that if she asked she was unlikely to get a straight forward answer.

She would have to work for it. That much she did understand. Getting information out of Levi would not be an easy feat. She wondered if she could someone learn everything about him? He was like the ultimate mystery and she was up for the challenge.

Or so she hoped.

I mean why would someone who seems so indifferent and withdrawn care if she needed a distraction?

Or noticed that she needed one?

Ever since she dropped out of college she was on her own.

She figured there was no point in keeping up with the friends she'd made in her first two semesters.

They were in two separate worlds and she was trying to keep herself out of the college life completely.

So she had been alone with her stress of figuring out what to do.

The weird thing was she never even acknowledged that she was alone. Petra was used to having a lot of support, she never had trouble making friends and her father was also supportive of her.

She really didn't notice what a toll it was taking on her until Levi—someone who didn't really know her—pointed out that he could tell she was on edge.

Now she just felt tired. The weight of her stress just seemed to intensify. How did she not notice how lonely she was?

She looked over at Levi as they walked. His hands were tucked in his coat pockets while he stared straight ahead. His face was blank just like it normally was. She really wished she could tell what he was thinking or that he would show more than a little emotion.

Well, maybe they could do this more.

Hang out.

Get to know each other.

It was a surprisingly warming thought.

She decided to see if she could jumpstart her personal mission.

"Why the military?"

"Excuse me?" he cut his eyes over in her direction briefly

"What made you enlist?" She was losing her new found confidence fast.

"Uh." He seemed to tense slightly in the shoulders.

She thought that would be a question that wouldn't be too prying but apparently she was wrong.

"You don't have to answer." She said quickly, her confidence completely faded.

"It was an arrangement." He said, letting a sigh out. "Or, well it started out that way. Then it just made sense for me."

She could tell from his tone he wasn't going to elaborate more and that was going to drive her crazy.

How was it an arrangement? She knew the curiosity was going to kill her.

"Oh." Petra replied lamely.

She let the rest of their walk become consumed in comfortable silence.

They ended up at a diner.

Petra had eaten there once before at the night before finals her first semester after cramming for hours. They had really good food, especially for a diner. Amazing desserts, though she supposed anything would taste amazing after you haven't eaten all day.

She almost laughed at herself when she realized she was in the same position today. Stressed, hungry, and tired. Levi held the door open for her, which was a gentlemanly move she didn't expect. She was so surprised by it she realized she never thanked him until it would have been awkward for her to say so.

He chose a booth at the back and told her to order whatever she liked.

As they sat there she started contemplating ways to get to know him.

This shouldn't be so hard.

Most people—well he wasn't most people.

What did she know about him, really?

He was training to be in the military. Apparently he was very good at it and could do anything he wanted. He had even gotten the attention of Commander Erwin Smith who could not get him to dedicate himself to any particular path. He was cold and seemed completely devoid of emotion, but she did see him smile once. He liked coffee; he always drank it black but got three packs of sugar. She didn't think he slept a lot because his eyes were always tired, but that she wasn't sure on. He must be observant because he knew her name and apparently noticed things about her that she thought she was hiding from the world.

The more she thought the more confused she became.

"Here is your order." The waitress announced cheerily, setting down Levi's plate before him. "And for your lovely girlfriend."

Levi didn't correct her error. Instead he simply nodded in thanks and for some reason that set Petra's heart beating rapidly.

Petra blinked a few times and hastily thanked the waitress.

It was Valentine's Day.

Of course it looked like they were dating.

She didn't know why the thought panicked her so badly.

They ate in silence and after they finished their perky waitress asked if they would like to order dessert. Before they could even respond she began rambling off about the Valentine's Day specials.

"The Sweetheart Sundae is really good." She said happily. "A lot of the couples get that every year."

"How about that, do you like ice cream?" He asked, staring straight at Petra.

How much more confused was he going to make her tonight?

"We'd be sharing." She said in a panic.

"Is that okay?" He inquired slowly.

"I mean, yea. Sure. That's fine with me if you don't care." If he noticed her discomfort he politely ignored it.

"We'll have that then."

Seriously, what was he playing at?

How did she end up in a diner with her solider she barely knew on Valentine's Day sharing a sundae?

When the bill came he paid before she could even reach for her wallet.

"Wait, how much was it?" Petra asked with a small frown.

"Don't worry about it, my treat." He said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"But—"

"My treat." He reaffirmed.

"Thank you." She was certain she couldn't get any more confused tonight.

After they left they ended up walking again, the air had grown colder as the sun was starting to set.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Was all that he said.

She knew if this was anyone else in the world she would be nervous and intimidated, so why wasn't she? Instead she felt at ease as she followed quietly beside him. They cut through the park and he jumped down the embankment that led to the lake.

Petra was surprised the dock was completely deserted; it was a popular hangout for broke college kids.

"I used to come out here a lot." She mused, comfortably sitting down on the wooden planks and swinging her legs over the water.

"I know."

Her head snapped in his direction in surprise.

"I used to see you with your friends." He said, sitting down near her but not directly beside her. "Last spring."

"Really?" She couldn't hide her surprise. "I never noticed you."

He'd stood out to her from the moment she saw him enter the café, not long after she had started working there right before summer. So how had she not seen him at the dock?

Well, it was always dark.

"I didn't make myself known. I used to slip away after curfew when I was pissed off. Most of the time no one would be out there and then all of a sudden you and your friends were here almost every night."

"There wasn't anything else to do." She said hollowly.

"You sat in my spot." He said gesturing towards her with a soft scoff. "It got on my nerves, I would always sit there. It's not like you and you friends knew, but still. I was already pissed so that just added to it."

"I'm sorry, do you want me to move? Your spot probably misses you then."

"It doesn't matter." He said shaking his head slowly, a very slight smile on his lips. "You can have it, I'm sure it probably appreciates your company more."

"What made you so mad back then?" She was feeling a little braver.

"Everything, I was mad at my decision to enlist. I was mad that all of my 'classmates' and 'friends' treated me rudely because I was getting attention from higher ranking officers. I got in several fights over it. I was just angry."

"I'm sorry they treated you that way. They shouldn't have, it wasn't your fault that you were doing well in the program"

"It doesn't bother me now." He said dismissively. "I don't need them."

"You probably are better off. You'll be above them one day and they'll have no choice but to respect you."

He was quiet and Petra could feel his eyes on her. She gathered up her courage and looked over at him. She didn't know how to interpret the look on his face. His eyes were slightly widened and his jaw was lightly dropped.

She didn't know how to read this look. It was like he didn't know how take her. If she didn't know any better it was almost like he was looking at something remarkable. Though, it was more likely that he found her strange. He quickly regained his composure. Clearing his throat he returned his gaze to the water.

"So what's your story?" He asked.

"What do you want to know?" She shifted uncomfortably, unable to shake the look in his eyes moments ago.

"Why are you so unhappy?"

"Uhm—well, that's a little complicated."

"Is it?" His tone was light.

How could he see right through her?

"I stopped seeing you out here with your friends a while ago. Did something happen with them?"

"No, not really. They didn't do anything to utterly betray me or anything if that's what you mean. I just…" She frowned, slightly. Should she tell him? I mean why would he care? "Why do you want to know?"

It came off a lot ruder than she intended but he didn't seem to mind.

"I just want to know where that beautiful laugh I used to hear went." He said it easily as one would comment on the weather and Petra's heart all but stopped. "You used to laugh a lot when you sat here. Now you hardly even smile."

She sat quietly for a moment. Just how long had he been watching her? And she thought she had been the one watching him.

"I had a hard time with school." She finally admitted. "You saw me out here during my first semester. I was handling it okay then. But by the second semester I was struggling a lot. It was stressful and I started skipping a lot. It wasn't what I thought it would be."

The floodgates had dropped and she knew she wouldn't be able to stop talking if she tried.

"I didn't know what to do. You grow up thinking you'll graduate high school and go to college and then get a job and live happily ever after. You think college will be liberating and the best time of your life. But it wasn't for me. I felt so trapped." She sighed, pulling her coat tighter around her. "I started working at the café over the summer and by the fall I would much rather be there than at school. Finally, in October I just quit going to class all together."

"Are you from around here?" He asked.

"No, see that's the kicker. My dad doesn't know I quit. He grew up poor, never got to go to college. He swore he would do better by his own kids and he was so proud when I got accepted into the university." Petra looked down at her lap, wrapping her arms around herself. "It's going to break his heart."

"I see." He said.

"I don't want to break his heart. I'm all he has; I can't be a disappointment to him. I've never gone against him my entire life." Her voice had grown tight.

"You can't force yourself to be unhappy, Petra. It's not good for you." Levi said slowly. "You father has to care a great deal about you, he may be disappointed but he won't hold it against you forever."

"He's going to think I'm such a failure."

"I'm sure any parent would much rather prefer their child be happy than successful."

"I just don't know what to do. I feel like if I had a plan or something I could break it to him easier but I don't know." She half shrugged, trying to will away the emotion welling up in her chest.

"What makes you happy?" He asked.

"I don't know." She said honestly, trying to think hard on it. "I guess it makes me happy when people smile, especially if I'm the one who put it there. I like helping people."

"That's a very…" He frowned. "You like to please people. There isn't anything wrong with that, but maybe you should consider doing more for yourself? You dropped out of school for your own benefit and look at how much you're letting the choice ruin you."

"But, he was so happy. He just wants what's best for me and I ruined everything."

"Yes but the idea of happiness varies from person to person. It's a generalized idea. What makes one person happy won't necessarily make someone else happy. Sure, your father is happy you went off to college because it his idea of what will lead you to a happy and successful life. I'm sure that is all he is worried about, that you do not have to struggle the way he did." He took a breath and looked down briefly. "I don't really know your father but you have made him sound hard working and kind. He will forgive you. Take this time now to focus on what you want to do if you think figuring it out will help soften the blow, what matters the most is your ultimate happiness."

"Levi." She said breathlessly. Never would she have guessed that he was capable of speaking that much at one time. How had he made sense of her jumbled up thoughts? He sorted them out and she felt far less lost.

She felt like she could do this, maybe her life wasn't over.

Maybe she wasn't a lost cause.

A disappointment.

A failure.

"Thank you." And she meant it.

He shifted slightly and said no more.

"So, will you tell me something then?" She smiled gently, feeling brave again. "It's only fair after I spilled my heart."

"It depends." He said hesitantly.

"Why did you want to avoid the ball tonight?" She asked curiously.

"Okay, I'll answer that." He chuckled lightly and Petra thought it was possibly the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard. "I didn't want to deal with the noise."

"Is that all, really?" She asked.

"Why would I want to be there? It's not like I have a girlfriend, that's the whole point of it. I don't dance, I don't drink—"

"I'm guessing you don't socialize either." She joked.

"Not by choice." He said tightly. "I don't get along with anyone in the program, I mentioned that earlier."

"I'm sorry." She said quickly and he waved his hand dismissively.

"I'm really not looking forward to the mess after this weekend. I'm sure I'll somehow wind up on cleanup duty." He frowned slightly.

"Well, if that table was any testament you'll have that base spotless."

"I can't stand messes" Levi said with a frown. "I also couldn't stand for you to clean up the mess that brat made."

The look on his face caused her to laugh whole heartedly and once again Levi was eyeing her the same way as before.

"I should probably get you home. I have to make curfew." He said after checking his watch.

"Oh, I don't live far. I can walk." But Levi wouldn't hear of it.

"It's late, I'm walking you home." His tone left no room for argument and she ended up leading him to her apartment complex.

"Wow, it's actually quiet for once. I guess everyone is out." She commented as she unlocked the door. He didn't say anything as she opened the door and stepped inside. She turned around to face him. "Well, goodnight."

"Petra?" He took a step back.

"Yes?" Her heart fluttered lightly as she awaited his response.

"Happy Valentine's Day." He said simply, turning around and walking back down the hallway.

"You to." She said finally, though he was too far away to hear her.

She shut the door with a click and leaned against it with a smile on her face.

Happy Valentine's Day indeed.

* * *

**Notes**: This turned out way longer than I intended for it to be. Thank you all for all the kind reviews! You've given me a lot of ideas. Let me know if there are typos, I'm a sloppy typist.


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note**: Sorry, I know it's been a little while since I updated but work has been kicking my butt lately. By the time I have a free minute all I want to do is lay there in quiet defeat and then I had a bit of a problem getting this chapter written mentally.

**Overview: **Levi's been busy lately. To ease his stress Petra makes dinner for Levi at her place. She learns a little more about Levi but by the end of the night she wonders if she'll ever be able to see inside the walls he's built. Though, she may be closer than she realizes.

* * *

**Her Soldier: Chapter 5**

After that weekend there was a significant shift in their dance.

When he visited her at work he would utter more than one word greetings. He asked how she was and hung around the counter talking as long as she could until she got another customer.

She liked this.

He'd been busy the past week with classes and training regimens. She was a little lonely, but the fact that they'd finally exchanged numbers helped because she got to text him a little when he wasn't busy.

When the door chimed around noon she was a little surprised to see him walk in, he was supposed to be in class until later on in the evening.

"Hey Levi, how did class go?" She asked with a bright smile.

"Hello Petra." He returned her smile slightly. "It's still ongoing, I can't stay long they only gave us a 30 minute break."

Her heart warmed as she noticed he was using her break to come see her—though it was also likely he needed the caffeine boost.

"You look tired."

"Five a.m. wake up call." He said, graciously taking the coffee she offered. "That's why I needed my fix."

"Why don't you make coffee on base first thing in the morning?" It was something she had always wondered.

"Because it tastes like crap unless you make it." He said honestly. "Listen, I have to get going. I'll text you when I get out of class."

How could he just say something like that so casually and then leave? She pouted a little after telling him goodbye. Levi always threw a curveball in when she felt like she was finally figuring him out.

Though there was something Petra was beginning to figure out. She knew she was starting to have feelings for Levi, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it they were there. There was no way he would ever see her the same way.

Why would he?

She found it hard to believe that he was that enraptured by her laugh when he saw her out by the lake. Surely he just happened upon the café and then saw her there. He couldn't have known she worked there before hand, right?

No, He could never like her.

Just because he was perceptive and noticed things about her and told her she had a beautiful laugh and that he could only drink her coffee didn't mean a thing.

So she wasn't going to let her mind day dream any further.

That night after she got home she was relaxed back on her couch with tea and a book when her cell phone rang.

Her dad.

Recently she either completely ignored his phone calls or cut them short. Sighing, she closed her book and answered her cell phone. Her guilt had won the battle this time.

"Hello?"

"_Petra, you answered."_ The joy in his voice furthered her guilt.

"How are you dad?" She tried to smile but the guilt tugged her cheeks into a frown instead.

"_Good, I've been busy at work this week. Your uncle just left, we had a good conversation about you."_

"Oh, how is uncle?" She didn't dare ask what the conversation was about.

"_He's good. We all miss you Petra."_

"I miss you to." And she honestly did.

"_How are you doing sweetheart?"_

"Good, dad. I've been working hard and spending some time with my friend." It was a general answer that contained no lies.

"_Which friend?"_

"His name is Levi, I haven't mentioned him before. I met him at work."

"_Oh, really? A friend huh? I've had those kids of 'friends' before to." _Hearty laughter echoed in her ear.

"Dad really, it's not like that. We're just friends."

"_Uh-huh."_

"Dad." She groaned.

"_Well just make she he treats you right. When I meet him—"_

"Dad, seriously." She covered her eyes in embarrassment.

"_Okay, okay. I'm glad you're doing well Petra."_

"I am." And she meant it. Thanks to Levi she had found a little stability. Sure, she was still nervous about inevitably having to tell her dad but at least she had something to look forward to now, something to keep her positive.

"_Well, I just wanted to call for a bit. I know you have things to do. I'll call later this week."_

"Okay dad."

"_I love you Petra, goodnight."_

"I love you to, dad. Bye."

The exchanged went a lot better than she expected. Though, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty still. She was thankful he didn't grill her about school, not telling him any lies pleased her. How much longer could she keep this up?

She sighed and looked down at her phone and decided to text Levi.

She smiled brightly when he responded mere moments later. It was so late she figured he would already be asleep. They talked casually until Petra fell asleep with her cell phone cradled to her chest.

The next day Levi showed up at his regular time, 9:30 on the dot.

"Happy for the break?" Petra asked as she made his coffee.

"It has been a little crazy lately, nothing I can't handle though." His smile was smug and she laughed.

"Of course not, Mr. Super Soldier." She teased, handing him his coffee.

"I have PT testing most of the day tomorrow. I won't be able to come by here, but I was thinking." He took a sip of his coffee, leaning his hip against the counter. "Maybe I could come by your apartment when I've finished?"

The request threw Petra a little, but she found herself nodding.

"Maybe we can order something in and watch a movie." He said casually

"That sounds great." She could all but taste her heartbeat.

With a nod and a half smile he went off to his seat.

What did this mean? She tried not to read too much into it but she was so excited she could barely contain herself. She rushed home after work and started straightening up her apartment. It wasn't really all that messy but she had a feeling it wouldn't be up to Levi's standards.

Maybe she could try cooking something simple for them instead? Her mind was spinning happily as she cleaned. She knew they were just hanging out but she was having a hard time keeping her mind in that frame.

Work seemed to last forever the next day and waiting for him to send a text seemed even longer.

"I'm leaving now." He finally sent her.

"Okay ." She replied quickly.

He showed up with damp hair and pink cheeks.

"Levi, why is your hair wet?"

"I took a shower." He shrugged his coat off once she'd closed the door behind him. "I've been working out all day."

"It's like 30 degrees outside." She frowned. "You're going to get sick."

"I have a strong immune system." He hung his coat on the hooks near the door without being prompted.

"You have to be freezing." Petra said with a sigh, deciding to let it go. "Let me make some coffee."

She went off to the kitchen and set up the coffee maker.

"Do you actually drink coffee when you aren't at work?" She hadn't expected him to follow her into the kitchen.

"Not often." She admitted with small laugh. "I see enough of it."

After she'd made the coffee they returned to the living room and sat down on the couch.

"You have a nice apartment." He said, bringing the mug to his lips. "It's a breath of fresh air from my quarters on base."

"How is that anyway? Do you have your own room?"

"No. I share a room with three other guys and they're all pigs." He wrinkled his nose is disgust. "I don't think they were ever taught the concept of 'clean'"

"I bet that kills you."

"It is, slowly." His expression was pained and she laughed.

"What exactly do you do there?" She hoped she wasn't pushing it with her curiosity.

"A lot of things." He said quickly. "Weapons training, combat training, self-defense, a little mechanics, I've also learned some about setting and diffusing bombs, stealth tactics, survival technics, first aid, and then there are the more boring things like filing paper work for the commander and cleaning duty."

"That's a lot to learn." She mused.

"My entrance scores were high. They gave me full access to a variety of programs and I took advantage of it." He shrugged lightly and she smiled when she noticed how much easier he spoke to her now.

"What are you going to do, eventually?" Dangerous question, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"I don't know yet." He frowned. "My entrance scores allowed me to prepare for almost any military career I choose but I can't decide."

"Why not?" She knew she was definitely treading in dangerous waters now but she went for it anyway. He leaned back into her beige couch and sighed. His eyes were downcast and left her wishing she could take the words back.

"When I was younger I stayed in trouble." He seemed to mull over his coffee before he continued. "It landed me in a juvenile detention facility and the only way they would let me out before I turned 18 was if I agreed to go to military school."

"Sheesh, how bad were you that they shipped you off to boot camp?"

"You name it, I probably did it." He admitted slowly, his eyes narrowed. "You could say I ran around with the 'wrong crowd'. I vandalized my high school, shop lifted, I even stole a car once. I ended up wrecking it and that's what landed me in kid jail."

That honestly surprised her. He seemed so straight laced that it was hard for her to picture him being a rough teen. Military school had obviously done wonders on him.

"I'm shocked I managed not to get myself killed while I was there. I was mouthy and arrogant, mad at the world. My own parents had written me off as a lost cause long before that." His eyes turned towards the ceiling and he scoffed. "I can't really blame them, I really was lost."

Petra frowned and almost wanted to reach for him but she knew she shouldn't. Instead she patiently waited for him to continue his story, clenching her first to repress the urge.

"Juvenile detention was a nightmare for me. I spent more time in isolation than anywhere else. I don't really know how the decision was made, but someone had the bright idea to send me off to military school. It wasn't good there either. I spent a lot of nights in the hole because I had no concept of the word respect" He smirked, lost in the memory. "I don't know how my superior officers resisted the urge to knock the teeth out of my mouth."

"It took a while but they were able to turn me around. They taught me about respect and commitment. They gave me direction." He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees while holding the coffee mug tightly with both hands. "That's when I knew that the military life would suit me."

This was a lot more than Petra was expecting out of him, it was like he was completely unfolding before her eyes.

"After I was enlisted in basic training I was immediately picked by Commander Erwin Smith because of the scores I made on the entrance exams. He encouraged me to branch out, check out all my options, and find my best fit. He treated me like I had all the potential in the world to actually become someone great." Levi tapped on his mug absentmindedly. "I'd always been treated like just some thug. I didn't know how to handle it. I still don't most of the time. I do know one thing though; I don't want to let him down."

A number of things were suddenly very clear to Petra. Levi obviously didn't have a lot of support growing up which caused him to stray and act out. His parents wrote him off and pushed him away instead of standing behind him. Commander Smith actually saw potential in Levi. The commander motivated him and encouraged him to better himself.

"You think if you pick the wrong path he'll be disappointed and shut you out?" Petra asked timidly, though she was fairly certain she was right. Levi looked over at her with a slight frown. "That won't happen."

"How do you know?" He asked sharply. "What if it's a test? What if he's expecting me to pick a certain area and I choose wrong?"

"He just wants you to pick what's best for _you._ I'm sure he wouldn't recommend you train in an area that would let him down." She said reassuringly.

"I've never told anyone that before." He looked away from her and then sighed lightly. "It feels like forever since I've freely spoken."

"You can always come to me." Petra said nervously, suddenly she found her coffee mug more intriguing than Levi's profile.

"So I've learned." He smiled lightly.

"You still have time to choose, Levi. I promise, you'll know what's right and everyone will be proud of you."

"Everyone?" He mused.

"Well, I will be! And I bet the Commander will be to. The rest of your fellow trainees might not be but it sounds like they'll be the ones saluting you in the end."

"I think I might enjoy that." He smirked as he brought the coffee cup to his lips and took a sip.

Petra sat with her knees tucked beneath her as she studied his profile. He looked far more relaxed than usual as he leaned forward studying is coffee cup. She didn't know how to describe how she felt but her heart warmed as she watched him. She felt like she finally, or at the very least sort of, understood him.

"What should we do for dinner?" He looked over at her so quickly that she jumped.

"I thought I would cook something." She said uncertainly.

"Cook? What are you going to cook?" He looked a lot more interested than Petra expected.

"I wasn't sure what you like. I picked up a few different things. I could make vegetable soup, since it's so cold tonight, or spaghetti, uh. I got some chicken I could fry it, or add it to the soup even, I also got hamburger meat to make meatballs but I can also just make hamburgers I got cheese—" Levi laughed and it interrupted her speech.

"You didn't have to go to all that trouble." He said with a faint smile. "I would eat anything you cooked. It has been a long time since I've had a home cooked meal."

"What would you like then?" Petra asked with a warm smile.

"I haven't had spaghetti in ages."

So they ended up in the kitchen together making dinner.

"You're not so bad at that." Petra marveled watching Levi make the meatballs.

"This is simple; you mixed everything together all I'm doing is shaping them." He was so concentrated on the task. His eyes were narrow and his lips tight. Petra almost wanted to laugh, guessing that he must give 110% to everything. "How did you learn to cook anyway?"

"Oh— uh, well." She shifted uneasily. "I kind of taught myself. My mom died when I was small and dad worked a lot. He worked really late sometimes and I felt bad that most of the time he had to eat frozen dinners so I started using my mom's old cook books. Turns out, I must have inherited her skill."

"How considerate you are." He murmured lightly. "I didn't realize you had lost your mother."

"It was a really long time ago." Petra said hastily. She didn't know why she was so uncomfortable talking about this. "I was little enough that I don't remember her at all."

"That must have been hard." Was all he said and she was glad he was so focused on shaping the meatballs because her eyes watered.

"It's okay." She tried to keep her voice straight. She wished she hadn't brought it up, what was she thinking? This was the one place she tried to keep her mind from straying to. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she spun away from him towards the sink with an empty pot in her hands. She just wanted the subject to go away.

"You don't sound okay." Why did he suddenly sound so close? "Petra, you don't have to have to hide this time."

"Who says I hide?"

"Don't you? You put on a front for the rest of the world, you smile for them. You treat everyone with a gentle kindness and bring them happiness, but what about you?" Oh, he was definitely close now. She shuddered and closed her eyes. "Like with your father, you'll do anything to make him smile-"

"But when he's happy I'm happy." She said sharply.

"There's nothing wrong with that, but when you let your own feelings get bottled up and let your own happiness suffer then it's a problem. Besides, how happy are you right now lying to him every day?"

"Levi." She didn't dare open her eyes. Didn't he do the same? That's what she wanted to say. He kept everything bottled up, she could tell. Why should she spill her heart if he wouldn't? She sighed, deciding not to say anything.

"It hurts you." He said softly. "Don't act like it's nothing."

And she supposed that's where it was different. He could read her, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't read him. His mask was better constructed than hers. There were no cracks on the surface to let her see inside and she wondered if she would ever be able to see past it.

She'd give anything to be able to hammer away at the plaster and see inside.

"Okay." Her voice was small as she gripped the pot tighter and closed her eyes.

Her answer seemed to satisfy him and she felt him move away from her. The mood lightened considerably as they danced around the kitchen finishing dinner. The preparations took longer than she'd wagered and by the time they finished eating it was time for Levi to return to base.

"Next time we'll have to fit in that movie." He swung his coat over his shoulders and buttoned it with nimble fingers.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Not sure, I have class in the morning but I should be able to come by the café unless they spring something else on me." He straightened the hood on his coat and shifted his weight. If Petra didn't know any better she would say he was nervous. "Thanks for dinner, it was good."

"Hey, that's half on you." She couldn't help but grin at his praise. "You helped."

"Right." He gave a small laugh. "Maybe next time we can make something less involved so I can help more?"

"Oh sure, that sounds like a plan." Petra tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I know just the recipe."

"Oh?" He was genuinely curious.

"Ever made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before?"

"Very funny Miss Barista." Her poor attempt at humor did earn a heartier laugh from Levi "I really have to get going."

"Be careful walking back and text me when you get in." Petra said as he moved to open the door.

His back was to her and the door was open but he didn't move. Her eyebrows drew together in confusion as he spun back towards her. Several seconds ticked by before she was able to register his lips on hers. He was _kissing_ her.

"Goodnight." He said gently once he pulled away, leaving Petra in a stunned silence.

The only thing Petra was conscious of as the door closed behind him was the pleasant tingle on her lips.

* * *

**Notes: **This chapter took way longer than I expected! I intended to finish this chapter like 4 days ago. Oi, life is really annoying sometimes. Anyways, thank you for reading. Let me know if I made any spelling errors, I typed a lot of this at 5 a.m.


	6. Chapter 6

**Authors Note: **Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews. You are all amazing and motivational!

**Chapter 6- Her Soldier**

Her hand flew to her lips.

She let her fingers move along them in an effort to confirm that they were really there.

They were there and they were tingling pleasantly.

Surely this wasn't reality, she had to be dreaming.

She didn't think she could be any more surprised.

Where in the world had that come from?

Her mind was racing a million miles a second and she was struggling with all her might to calm herself down.

Levi kissed her.

He had actually kissed her.

What did this mean?

Shouldn't she be happy? The only emotion that came to her was confusion.

She unconsciously walked into the kitchen and opened the dishwasher.

Why in the world had he kissed her? There was no way he could ever like her, why would he? She was a wreck.

Her life was a wreck.

He had a promising future but what did _she_ have?

All she had was uncertainty on her side.

By the time she had reflexively put all clean dishes away her phone chimed.

Levi.

"I'm back on base." He typed.

She leaned against the kitchen counter and let her thumbs hover above the keyboard. Should she mention the kiss? She didn't even know how to go about this.

"Glad you got back safely." That was a safe response, right?

"I hope I wasn't too out of line earlier."

And now she was stuck. What should she say? There were a million things she wanted to ask but she knew how he would react to a sudden barrage of questions. He wasn't out of line, but she just wished she better understood what it meant. She wanted to know where they stood now. Did this change anything? Did he want it to change anything?

"You weren't out of line." She typed, but mulled over sending it. Should she say she liked it, or that it was okay? She didn't want to get her hopes up, maybe this wasn't a big deal to him. It could have been an accident. Did she even want to start down this path?

Well, worst case scenario was he stopped talking to her.

Sure, that wouldn't be pleasant but she would manage without him. She was already starting to have feelings for him so if he wasn't interested maybe she'd be saving herself pain in the long run.

"You weren't out of line at all. It was probably the last thing I expected tonight, but it was a nice surprise."

Send.

Waiting for him to respond was nerve wracking to the point that she actually abandoned her phone and started getting ready for bed. She had her sleep pants halfway on when she heard her phone chime again. She stumbled across the room and grabbed it off her bed.

"It was unexpected for me to, but it just felt right."

It felt right. That was a good thing, wasn't it? Everything she could think to type sounded so awkward in her head. The minutes ticked by and she leaned back on her bed. She hated that she was so bad at this.

Her phone chimed again.

"I can understand if you don't feel comfortable, just say the word and we can forget this happened."

"No, no." She typed back quickly. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable, I was just trying to figure out what this means for us now."

"Well, what do you want it to mean?" Petra groaned.

He was impossible.

"Why did you kiss me?" Two could play this game of passing the buck.

"Because you're beautiful and I couldn't hold back anymore. There was no way I could have walked out that door without kissing you tonight." She inhaled sharply. How could he be so blunt sometimes? She didn't understand. Most of the time it was like pulling teeth to get him to utter anything honestly.

Though she supposed it was only hard for him to open up about his feeling when they concerned him directly.

Now she really was at a loss of words.

"So, you like me?" She knew it sounded lame but being forward was the only way she was going to get her mind straight.

Next thing she knew her phone was ringing and she was terrified to answer it. She would much rather this conversation happen through text message. With a sharp inhale she answered the phone.

"Did you seriously just ask if I liked you?" He asked the moment the phone hit her ear.

"I'm just trying to figure this out."

"What is there to figure out? Petra, why else would I kiss you?"

"I don't know." Her voice was as small as she felt under his aggravated tone.

"Of course I like you Petra, why else would I come to the café five days out of the week?"

"But we didn't even talk up until recently."

"Because I was too intimidated to speak to you!"

"Intimidated—you? Why would you be intimidated of anyone?" He sighed shortly

"You don't see yourself." He retorted. "You don't see the way your face lights up when you smile. You can't hear the way your voice carries happiness when you smile. Do you even realize how many smiles you've brought to people that go through your line?"

"How is that intimidating?" She said without much thought. Her heart was pounding from his words.

"You shine so brightly, but what about me? Everyone has always described me as disagreeable and petulant. Sure, I could see the weight in your eyes when you thought no one was looking but I was certain that you would still see me as… as a damper, just like everyone else always has."

"You always stood out to me Levi." She said gently, letting her hand rest over her heart. "I watched you while you sat by that window wanting nothing more than to know you. I wanted to understand you—I still want to understand. I think the best thing that's happened to me in months was when that little girl spilled your coffee. It gave me the perfect excuse to approach you."

She almost let it slip that she nicked named him her soldier in her head but she figured that wouldn't really help her right now. It was painfully quiet and just as she was about to speak up she heard Levi sigh.

"Fine, okay." He sounded like he wanted to say more but let it go. "We've established that I like you. Now let's be fair: Do you like me?"

She shifted uncomfortably, how did he expect her to answer that? She hoped he would accept a simple answer because she wasn't sure she could give him a detailed one.

"Of course I do." She said in a panicked voice.

"That's what I thought." He sounded… relieved? "No, actually I hoped you did. Not that I would blame you if you didn't."

She realized this had to be a big move for him, putting his feelings out there. Especially for someone who was constantly shut down by everyone most of his life. It felt a good to be trusted by him.

"Don't worry, there's nothing not to like." She said with a smile.

"I can hear that you're smiling." He mused. "You should probably get to bed, it's late."

"You're one to talk. Don't you have to be up earlier than I do?"

"Probably." She could hear him smiling to. "Goodnight Petra."

"Goodnight."

While she didn't know exactly where they stood or how she was going to handle herself the next time she saw him, she did feel a little more positively about the entire situation.

Maybe cracks were appearing in his mask after all.

Petra tried to hide how nervous she was as the clock reached 9:30.

When the door chimed she dropped a customer's debit card. Flushing, she bent down to pick it up hoping to god it wasn't Levi that entered and if it was she hoped he didn't see that.

"Sorry about that ma'am." She returned the card to the lady's awaiting hand.

"A little jittery this morning, are we?" She chuckled and Petra smiled at her.

She dared finally to look past the lady and sure enough there stood Levi. He wore a small smile and there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Morning." Levi didn't try to hide the amusement in his voice as he approached the counter.

"Hi." She greeted, trying to calm her nerves and make his coffee at the same time.

"Tonight…" He trailed off.

"Tonight?" She stared at him quizzically as she continued to make his coffee.

"We should make dinner again. You bought a lot of food and we shouldn't let it go to waste."

"Okay, sure." He really hoped he couldn't tell that her heart was pounding. "That sounds great."

"I'll see you tonight then." He took his coffee from her and left the counter with a smile so she could wait on the next customer in line.

That went okay, she decided. She wondered if this was going to become a new tradition. She hoped the more they spent time together the more she would understand where they stood.

Levi showed up a little after five and they settled for making vegetable soup that night since it was snowing out.

"You're pretty good at peeling." Petra said with a smile.

"At least I feel like I'm helping more this way." He passed the potatoes he had peeled to her and she started cutting them into chunks.

"I need to check on the water." She never realized how much fun it could be to actually have someone helping out in the kitchen. Now she understood why her mother and father often cooked together.

Once everything was chopped and peeled she covered the pot so everything could simmer.

"It'll be a good hour before everything is ready." She had decided to make simple grilled cheese sandwiches just to add to it, but they would have to wait. "Want me to make some hot chocolate?"

"What, no coffee?"

"I just thought it would be a nice change." She said quickly. "But I can make coffee."

"Hot chocolate is fine." He said with a wave of his hand. "A sweet treat from a sweet girl."

There was another one of those out of place statements of his. She struggled to keep her hands steady as she boiled the water.

"Do you want marshmallows?"

"No." He said shortly.

"How do you not want marshmallows?"

"I don't like them."

"Who doesn't like marshmallows?"

"Me." His tone grew irritated as he leaned against the bar.

"Okay, okay. " She said with a giggle. "Here, drink your marshmallow free hot chocolate."

"Thank you."

As they waited for dinner to cook they chatted idly about small things. It was like they were playing 20 questions back and forth. She found out that he wasn't that fond of things that were overly sweet, he preferred dark chocolate, and he refused to eat anything fruit flavored that wasn't actually fruit.

"Wait, not even strawberry ice cream?"

"No." He wrinkled his nose up.

"So you don't eat any gummy candies either then?"

"No."

"Apple pie?"

"Apple pie is made with real apples." He said in a deadpan voice.

"Oh." She flushed lightly. "That's right, it is. There's just so much that's fruit flavored it's just hard to believe that you don't eat any of it. Who doesn't like skittles?"

"Why would I eat a bag of skittles when I could just eat a bowl of fruit?"

"Because skittles are delicious."

"Well you eat your skittles, I'll eat my strawberries."

"So you like strawberries?"

"Who doesn't like strawberries?"

"I don't know, up until a minute ago I didn't think anyone hated skittles so I'm sure someone out there hates strawberries."

"Well they're insane." He scoffed.

"Says the man who hates skittles." Petra said with a laugh. She turned her attention back to the stove and decided it was time to make the grilled cheese sandwiches. The snow had really started coming down and Petra was glad they'd saved the soup for tonight.

It would be nice if this became their routine, dinner a couple of times a week. She could get used to this. At the same time she also knew what reality was. Levi graduated from basic training in May. Who knew where he would be off to at that point, he could be stationed anywhere in the country.

Even overseas.

Her charade would be over in May as well, her father would learn the truth and she would be forced to return back home. As she brought their dinner to the table a lump caught in her throat. She hadn't realized how used to this she had grown.

How used to his company she was.

Knowing that in a few months it would be like nothing had ever grown between them, all this effort wasted, her stomach twisted in knots.

"Are you alright? You look a little ill." His tone was uninterested but his eyes flickered in concern.

"Oh, I'm fine." She lied, but what else was she good for anyway?

After dinner they watched a movie curled up on the couch. Petra had wrapped herself up in a fleece blanket and somehow Levi wormed his way under it as well with one arm stretched lazily around her shoulders.

The next thing she knew she was waking up. She was leaned completely against Levi's chest and the only sound she could hear was his heartbeat. A quick glance at the clock told her that it was 3:14 a.m. and in a slight panic she sat up. She felt Levi stir and stretch beside her.

"Levi, it's 3. You were supposed to be back on base at 11."

"I'll deal with it tomorrow." He didn't bother opening his eyes and tugged firmly on the blanket.

"But—"

"It's done now. I'll deal with it tomorrow." He tugged one more time and she sighed.

"Well, I'm going to my bed."

"Fine, goodnight." She stood up from the couch and surrendered the blanket completely to him.

As she climbed into bed she hoped that he wouldn't get in too much trouble for this, trouble was the last thing he needed. As she curled up on her side she frowned, missing the comfort the steady beat of his heart had brought her.

**Notes: **This was a hard chapter for me to finished, I think because it's a bit of a transitional chapter to the next 'big event'. Filler chapters are always difficult. Anyways, thanks for reading


	7. Chapter 7

**Authors Notes: **You guys! I had the biggest grin on my face when I read all of your reviews of the last chapter. Thank you all for your support, you've made me so happy. I have just learned that you can actually reply to reviews (it's been a while since I've frequented ) so I will be working on replying to everyone!

**Chapter 7- Her Soldier**

The next morning she found Levi still seated on the couch putting his boots on when she exited her bedroom.

"I hope you won't get in trouble." She said, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

"I've never gotten a demerit the entire time I've been in the program, it will be fine." He assured and she hoped he wasn't lying for her benefit. "Seriously, guys go to parties on campus during the weekend, pass out drunk, and stay out all night all the time."

"Well, text me and let me know how things go." She'd already showered and put on her uniform even though she had an hour before she needed to leave.

"I will." He approached her with his coat in one hand. He reached out his free hand and clasped one of her hands before leaning in to kiss her. "Maybe this wouldn't have happened if you weren't so warm and comfortable."

"Levi!" Her entire face warmed at his words and he chuckled lightly. She pulled her hand away and pushed at his shoulders. "Go back to base, go."

"Okay, fine." He gave her another quick kiss and left without another word.

Petra went on to work a little while later and around 8:30 Levi sent her a text saying he had to do 500 pushups, double cleaning duty, and help out in the kitchen for a week. Commander Erwin even waved the demerit. She breathed a sigh of relief even though that meant Levi wouldn't be able to come see her at work or at home with his full schedule.

But at least his military record would remain clear, the last thing he needed was more blemishes on his record.

The week moved slowly and it left Petra wondering what in the world she did with her time before she'd met Levi.

She sighed and wiped down the tables in the lobby of the café. She had been really busy that morning but finally things had slowed down enough that she could do something other than make coffee. The door chimed and she whirled towards the noise.

She was surprised to see Commander Smith at the door but she smiled and prepared to greet him.

"Petra Ral." His tone was nothing short of angry.

"Y—yes?" She stammered, wondering how he knew her name.

She had a terrible feeling about this.

"Look, I don't know what you think you're doing but now is the time to stop." Petra wished she could cower away from his sharp tongue.

"Excuse me?" She wasn't sure what he was talking about. She gathered it had to do with Levi, but what had she done wrong? Sure he missed curfew because he fell asleep on her couch but he assured her that was all swept under the rug.

"You're a distraction. One he most certainly doesn't need." He said harshly. "I've done a lot to make sure he stays in line and makes something of himself. Now all of a sudden he starts leaving at night. He is constantly distracted with his phone during class and then to top it off he missed curfew Monday. I reprimand him and what does he do? Put in and application for leave next weekend. The address belonged to a Miss Petra Ral, relation 'girlfriend'."

Her heart was beating so fast she didn't know what to do. She was too shocked and afraid to respond, she didn't know Levi intended to spend the weekend with her. She was also trying to process the fact that he listed her as his girlfriend on the application.

"Sir, I—"

"I looked you up." He cut her off swiftly. "College dropout, working at a café, what good are you to him? He's was in enough trouble before the military and now that he's straightened up I am not letting some dead end dropout drag him down."

"Dead end dropout?" She said meekly. "I don't think you understand—"

"I understand perfectly. In another month Levi is going to be far away from here, that I whole heartedly guarantee you. I'll make sure he's stationed on the other side of the country." He said sharply. "His country needs him more than some doe eyed floosy. What do you have to offer him? Nothing. What does the military have to offer him? Everything. He already has a future and you would be better off cutting yourself out of the picture."

The door chimed again as he exited the café and for a few moments Petra couldn't move.

She felt so low.

Heaving a sigh, she sat down on a nearby chair.

The commander had a point.

What _was_ she doing?

Would she really drag Levi down?

Honestly, she didn't know what she was doing with her life. Levi on the other hand didn't have a concrete path but he had several to choose from. She had nothing. Only shame and disappointment were a certainty in her future.

Whatever Levi saw in her wasn't enough to make her special. At the end of the day she was exactly what Commander Smith said she was: a dead end.

She had already screwed up her future because she couldn't handle the pressure college brought.

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right.

She wouldn't drag Levi down with her.

By the end of the night she had cut her phone off, unable to bring herself to answer any of Levi's text messages.

It didn't feel good but she knew it was the right thing to do.

Maybe he would just think she hated him and go on about his life.

Surely he would be better off.

This was their inevitable future anyway, what did it matter that she was starting it prematurely?

She didn't even bother turning her phone on for the rest of the week.

Her heart sank deeper and deeper which each passing day and before she knew it Levi's week of punishment was over.

He didn't show up at the café on Monday, which left Petra both relieved and downtrodden.

Apparently he took her hint, what else was she expecting? She hasn't spoken to him in four days. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday all came and went. Petra stopped counting the days. She was certain she had never felt more miserable in her entire life.

On Saturday she didn't bother showering. She threw on her fuzzy pink robe and curled up on the couch watching trash reality television, the only thing her eyes were worthy of in her opinion. When her doorbell chimed around 10 a.m. she jumped in surprise.

Someone must have the wrong apartment.

She sighed and approached the door, checking the peep hole she let out a gasp and yanked the door open.

"What are you doing here?" She couldn't help but stare at him in astonishment.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" He countered in a stern voice.

"What?" She took a step back and he entered the apartment without invitation, slamming the door behind him.

"I've texted and called you every day!" He might have only been slightly taller than her but right now she felt miniscule before him. "Don't play stupid."

"I just…" She looked down and let her shoulders hang loose.

"Petra." His tone had softened considerably. "What happened?"

"You didn't come see me at work." She deflected lamely.

"Because I took another week of punishment so the commander would approve my weekend leave." Levi threw his hands up. "You would have known that if you picked up your damned phone."

"Levi." She sighed heavily

"Fine, take your time. I don't have to be back on base until Monday at 10 a.m." Levi said, plopping down on the couch. "Plenty of time for you to tell me."

"You're stubborn. Why didn't you just stop?" She said heavily. "Did you ever think to just leave it alone?"

"Leave what alone?" He shot her a look over the back of the couch.

"Us." Her voice was small and she crossed her arms across her chest. "Though I know we never officially titled our relationship."

"Maybe if you give me a damn good reason why I should I might consider leaving 'us' alone. I thought it was apparent that we're dating." His eyes were fixed on her. "I know something happened, Petra. This isn't like you, why are you trying to push me away?"

"Sometimes you have to draw me a picture." Petra avoided his question with a sigh and sat gingerly on the opposite end of the couch. "I didn't know you considered me your girlfriend until I heard it from the commander."

"Heard it from the commander?" Levi asked with narrow eyes. "Petra?"

"Oh, didn't you know? I'm nothing but a dead end drop out." She looked down at her coffee table.

"Excuse me?" he sounded surprised but Petra didn't dare look over.

"Last week the commander came into the café and told me that he didn't need a dead end drop out dragging you down. He said you were going to be somebody and didn't need a doe eyed floosy distracting him." Petra hugged herself tightly around the middle. "I'm surprised he even approved your leave."

"That son of a—I can't believe he stooped so low." Levi punched the couch lightly.

"He's right though. You don't need me dragging you down. You have all the potential in the world, I don't. In May you'll be stationed God knows where and I'll have to go back home." She closed her eyes. "I don't know why we even bothered starting this when there's no chance."

"No." Levi said firmly. "Don't give him the satisfaction."

"Levi, I already knew we had no future. You're going to go on to be some big shot military officer. You're going to be respected and get everything you deserve. Then there's me, I have no idea what I want to be or do or anything. I'm not good for anything aside from lying to those who mean the world to me. I'm a complete failure."

"You are not." He said with so much certainty that Petra looked over at him. "You're beautiful, kind, and considerate. You put so much of yourself into everything you do. Stop acting like your life is over because college wasn't your thing. You'll find what you were meant to do."

Part of her wanted to believe him, his eyes burned intensely and she knew he meant every word he said. She couldn't stop the back of her eyes from prickling or the tears coming forward. She looked away from him quickly and squeezed her eyes closed in an effort to stop them from falling.

"You need to stop thinking you aren't good enough, Petra." His voice had cooled significantly. "You are good enough."

She felt the couch shift and a cool hand touched her cheek. He gently turned her face towards him and she still couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, even when his soft lips touched hers. He pulled away and then immediately kissed her again.

The next time he pulled away she dared to let her eyes flutter open and his thumb moved to wipe away her tears.

"The commander told me that if I don't leave you alone he's going to guarantee you get stationed on the other side of the country." Petra leaned her cheek into his hand, savoring the feeling.

"So? He doesn't get a say in everything. I'll make good money no matter what division I enter, I'll just move you with me." Levi had a determined glint in his eyes.

"Levi." She shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm serious." She didn't doubt it for a second either.

"The commander might think you're distracting me but you've helped me regain my focus." He caressed her cheek gently "I've been up, down, back, and forth lately. Everywhere but where I need to be."

Petra couldn't help but smile at that, she was glad he was closer to figuring out what he wanted to do. She just wished things would come to her and at the same time she just wished she could pause this moment and live in it forever.

That would make her happy, to just keep him in front of her indefinitely. But Petra Ral was not selfish. Though she would love to keep him close she would be just as happy watching him go on to do great things whether she was able to stay in his life or not.

"I guess we've been keeping each other in check, huh." She smiled slowly. "If it wasn't for you I would still be tearing my hair out over telling my dad I dropped out.

"Happiness suits you better." He said definitely, patting her cheek and letting his hand drop.

They spent the rest of the weekend doing little more than lying around and watching bad television. They ordered in pizza one night and Chinese the next. Levi criticized her taste in television and she laughed at his taste in movies. They slept curled up warmly in Petra's bed, nothing more but kissing happening between them but Petra didn't mind.

On Monday they both had to return to reality and Petra pouted most of the morning. She enjoyed the lazy weekend inside her warm apartment; she wasn't ready to face the cold outside.

"You'd better go shower." Levi urged, exiting the bathroom with damp hair and a towel thrown around his shoulders. Petra's eyes widened when she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. "You don't need to be late."

"You better get dressed!" She said quickly.

"Or what?" He mused, raising an eyebrow at her. "Besides, I am dressed. I'm wearing pants."

"Never mind!" Her face flushed hotly. Unable to take it another second she shot past him and quickly shut the bathroom door behind her.

The shower only added to her somber mood, she really didn't want this to end.

The weekend started out so desolate and ended up so wonderful, she was very unwilling to leave the dream behind.

She stepped out of the shower and sighed at the mirror as she dried herself off. As she moved to dress she realized she could hear voices out in the living room and she froze.

It didn't sound like the TV.

She quietly moved toward the bathroom door and leaned closer.

"Ah, so you're Levi! Petra mentioned you."

Was that—no, it couldn't be. Her heart jumped to her throat, there was no way her father was there, right?

Panic set in and her hands were shaking. She realized then that she hadn't cut her phone on for the past week which meant she was not only ignoring Levi but she was ignoring her father was well.

"Yes, sir. It's nice to meet you." She heard them clasp hands.

"I've been worried about Petra, she hasn't been answering her phone. I know she's busy but I can't help worrying over her"

"I don't blame you, sir. Her phone hasn't been working, that's why I'm here." He lied smoothly. "It's not safe for a girl to walk around by herself but doubly not safe for her to be walking around without a phone."

"That's good of you, son." Her father said and Petra could picture him nodding. "I wish she had thought to tell me somehow, though."

"Like you said, she stays busy."

"Well, she can be a little absent minded sometimes." He chuckled. "Are you in the military, Levi?"

"Yes, sir. I'm currently in training."

The conversation took a turn in a direction that made Petra feel like it was safe enough to dress quickly. She dried her hair, put on her makeup, and smoothed her clothes in record time.

Taking five deep breaths she reached for the door knob and left the bathroom. She took short steps as she left her bedroom and entered the living room.

"Petra!" Her father beamed happily.

"Dad! What are you doing here?" She smiled and hugged him tightly.

"You haven't been answering your phone. I got worried."

"I'm sorry dad! I broke it at work last week." She frowned. "I should have called you on the phone at work. I'm sorry, I didn't think about it."

"It's alright, Levi already filled me in. I am just glad you're okay." His smile was genuine.

"Levi, I'm sorry I made you wait so long." Petra said with a small smile.

"Don't worry about it, like I said I don't have to be anywhere until 10."

"It's so nice of you to get up early and walk my daughter to school." Petra's smile became strained, especially in comparison to her father's warm smile.

"We have to get going." Petra said, checking her watch. "Are you staying, dad?"

"I am just for tonight if that's alright."

"It's perfectly alright! I'll pick up something to make for dinner on my way home." She kept her smile bright and her father nodded.

"That sounds wonderful, Petra. Will you be joining us Levi?" Petra glanced at Levi to let him know it was okay.

"If I can get away from base I'll be here." His smile was small. "Petra's cooking isn't something to miss out on."

"You've got that right, son." He laughed wholeheartedly. "You kids get out of here. I've got a lot of crossword puzzles to catch up on."

"Okay dad, I'll see you later!" She kissed him on the cheek and moved towards the door.

Levi helped her put on her coat and she noticed her father was watching with fond eyes. She flushed slightly, knowing exactly what he was thinking. He thought he was watching the start of something, but he definitely didn't assume there was anything serious between them yet.

As soon as they got to the end of the hallway Petra sighed heavily.

"This is bad." She said hollowly.

"On the bright side, at least he didn't show up while I was in the shower."

"Levi!" She sighed again. "What am I going to do? He'll find out I'm not in school for sure now."

"Maybe it's time you tell him?" Levi reached down and casually took her hand as they walked.

"I don't know. I'm sure he'll make me pack up and go home if I tell him now." She said nervously. "And I don't want that."

"I don't want it either." Levi admitted. "But he may start getting suspicious."

"Maybe we can distract him with our relationship." Petra said, mostly joking.

"Well, that's an idea." Levi said seriously.

"I want to at least wait until you graduate to tell him. We'll be apart no matter what at that point and maybe by then I can figure out something I want to pursue so I don't look like a complete failure of a child."

"You're not a complete failure." Levi squeezed her hand tight. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

They'd reached the café. Petra sighed and eyed the building warily, this was the last place she wanted to be right now.

"Go on and have a good day. Do you want me to go shopping with you or just meet you at home?"

"Will you be finished when I get off at 4?"

"I don't know." He looked over at the base. "Depends on what the commander has me doing. I'll text you."

Even though she hadn't turned it on in over a week she still carried her phone with her. She patted her pocket to confirm it was there and said goodbye to Levi before heading in to open up the store.

Once she had everything in order she turned her phone on. It vibrated intensely, a barrage of alerts appeared down her lock screen. When she opened up the display she saw she had 15 text messages and 10 voice mails.

"_I put in a form with Cmdr. Smith this morning to leave base next weekend. Hopefully he'll approve me spending the weekend at your place since it's so close."_

"_Well if you don't mind having me over, I probably should have asked first."_

"_You must be busy at work."_

"_It'll be a while until I see you again. I volunteered for cleaning and kitchen duty so Cmdr. Smith would approve my weekend leave."_

"_I guess you went to sleep after work."_

"_Goodnight."_

"_Good morning."_

"_He officially approved my leave."_

"_Petra, are you ignoring me?"_

"_This isn't like you, why won't you answer me?"_

"_Your phone went straight to voicemail, I hope it isn't broken."_

"_I'm starting to get worried, it's been over 5 days. I hope nothing has happened to you."_

"_I hope you're just ignoring me and are completely fine otherwise."_

"_I'm still coming over tomorrow, last chance to tell me no."_

"_I'm coming over whether you text me back or not. I don't like leaving things unresolved"_

She felt the guilt rush back temporarily as she scrolled through the text messages before she reminded herself that the situation was dealt with. They were perfectly fine now. She deleted all the voice mails without listening to them, she knew hearing her father and Levi's worried voices would ruin her fragile mood.

Everything was okay as it could be right now; she just hoped that she could pull this off a little while longer.

**Notes: **Let me know if I made any typos. I typed a good portion of his while riding in the car. I went over it but I still could have missed things. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors Note**: I wanted to get out one more chapter before I leave on Thursday to head for Katsucon. I ended up losing electricity during a winter storm the Wednesday before I left and the day after I got home I came down with a cold that put me out of commission all week. I had a blast at Katsucon though, I cosplayed Petra! Thank you all for your reviews, you've all been amazingly kind! Thanks to Silent Winds who pointed out the typo in the last chapter.

* * *

**Her Soldier: Chapter 8**

In the end, Levi was unable to get off base before Petra got off of work so she went grocery shopping alone. She decided to make homemade lasagna since it was her father's favorite.

When she made it back to her apartment her father was seated on the couch with a crossword puzzle in his lap.

"Welcome home." He smiles warmly. "Levi isn't with you?"

"He couldn't get away from base. He said he would be over as soon as he was finished with his duties." Petra entered the kitchen and her father followed her.

"He's a good kid. I can tell he's goal oriented, responsible, and proud. Not to mention he's quite handsome." He spoke nonchalantly but Petra knew where he was going with this.

"Dad." She groaned.

"I'm just saying, there are worse guys out there. He's a gentleman." Maybe they wouldn't have to work hard to distract him with their relationship, it seemed like her father was already absorbed. "I'm not saying you have to marry him or anything. You're too young for that."

"I'm not trying to marry him." She turned around quickly to hide her flushing face.

"But you do like him."

"I am not talking about this with you." She said quickly.

"He likes you to, you know." He said proudly, like he had just solved a mystery. "If he didn't he wouldn't show up to walk you to school."

"He's just nice dad."

"You'll see it my way eventually."

"Aren't you supposed to be like 'evil boy stay away from my daughter, you're bad.'?" She asked jokingly.

"Well I suppose so Petra, but he's not a bad guy. Besides, I have two roles to fill." She knew it was an offhand comment but it hit her hard and brought her back to a place that she didn't like to go. "I just want you to be happy."

"I know dad." she said, hoping he would just let the moment slip past them.

They never talked about her, ever. She was mentioned in passing occasionally but Petra knew that if either one of them dwelled on her it would reopen the cracks in their hearts. Wounds like this never really healed.

"He actually makes you smile, Petra. I haven't seen you look happy like this in a long time."

"Dad, I smile all the time!" She said brightly.

"I know, Petra. But he makes you _really_ smile." He smiled sadly at her. "It's really nice to see."

"Dad." Her eyebrows knitted together and before she could fully process what he said the doorbell rang.

"I'll let him in." Her dad offered with a nod.

She listened to them chit chat as she layered the lasagna. They seemed to get along pretty well, the way Levi handled himself surprised Petra. He wasn't closed off or reserved, he was polite and respectful. Though she supposed that was the military's influence and maybe he did have a reason to treat her father with respect.

It would have been hard to gain his favor otherwise.

The thought that Levi was trying to be in her father's good graces for her sake made her smile.

"What are you cooking?" Levi shook her out of her thoughts.

"Lasagna, it's my dad's favorite and my mom's specialty." She smiled fondly as she continued laying the noodles down. "I don't think I make it as good as she did though."

"I'm sure you do a perfectly adequate job." Levi said gently, leaning against the counter watching her.

"Where did dad go?"

"Bathroom."

"Oh, okay." Petra said with a nod. "You two seem to get along."

"Really?" Levi said in a hushed voice.

"You sound surprised."

"I wasn't sure."

"Watching you try to impress him has been entertaining." She teased lightly.

"Trying to..." His eyes narrowed in response to her teasing. "I haven't been trying to impress him."

"Uh-huh." She smiled lightly. "You had to of said something right, he had great things to say about you."

Levi looked slightly uncomfortable and in that moment Petra realized he must not take praise well, which surprised her.

He was so proud.

Then she imagined the terrible things people likely said to him growing up, she pictured his mother, father, and everyone else in his life calling him a delinquent.

No good.

Telling him he would never amount to anything.

She could picture the condescending smile on his face but the frown underneath as the words pierced his heart.

Eventually he probably started to believe it, especially when his parents threw their hands up.

Frowning, Petra reached out and touched his cheek. His eyes narrowed a little more in confusion but Petra didn't move her hand. She smiled faintly, hoping her thoughts were wrong but knowing more than likely she was right.

"What?" He questioned finally, as the moments stretched on.

"Oh, I was just thinking-"

"Must be some good thoughts." Petra jumped away from Levi at the sound of her father's voice. The pair looked over at him and he was wearing a large grin.

"I need to put this in the oven." Petra said, grabbing for the pan of lasagna.

"I'll help." He answered quickly, opening to oven door.

Petra heard her dad chuckle and when she glanced back over her shoulder he was gone.

"That was embarrassing."

"I think it worked in your favor." There was a hint of a smile on his lips.

"I swear, if I can just make it through tonight." She muttered. "Come on; help me make the garlic bread."

Once the table was set and they all set down together Petra couldn't shake the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. It had been a while since she had sat down for a meal like this. Usually she and Levi had a make shift set up at the coffee table.

Adding her father to the mix made things tenser.

She listened to Levi and her father talk effortlessly. Apparently her father had wanted to join the military but he was unable to enlist because he had broken his leg as a child. Then they started talking about hunting and how much he loved to do it before Petra was born.

Eventually she had completely tuned out the conversation and was watching Levi talk. His face didn't change expressions much but his eyes were so expressive. She actually jumped when  
Levi cut his eyes over in her direction. She hadn't said a word in ages, watching him was just as entertaining as it used to be. They smiled at each other briefly before Levi returned his full attention back to her father.

"So, Petra. Why don't you come on out say it?" Her father said a little later on. They had finished eating and were just sitting at the table talking.

"What?" Her pulse quickened.

"It's not like I haven't already figured it out." His tone was a little stern which caused her panic to intensify.

"Dad, I don't know what you're talking about."

"You two are seeing each other!" His face broke into a wide grin.

"Oh." Her voice was small and she balled her fists up to quell the shaking. "Right."

"I wasn't sure this morning, but after that display in the kitchen I knew it." He looked so proud of himself that Petra couldn't help but smile. "You had better take care of her, Levi. I only have one daughter."

"Yes sir, she's safe with me, I promise." Her heart skipped countless beats at the sincerity of his words.

"You're a good kid, a lot better than the guys Petra used to see in high school."

"Dad!"

"What? They were all bad news, I'm glad you're over that bad boy phase."

"Dad seriously." She covered her face with her hands.

"Bad boys, huh?" Levi actually sounded amused and Petra couldn't muster the courage to take her hands away from her face.

"Oh my, yes. Petra was a good girl, mind you. Never got in a bit of trouble, but those boys she liked to have around must have been her way of rebelling."

"Dad." She sounded defeated, knowing Levi would have something to say to her later.

"I'm just saying that it's nice to see you interested in someone that isn't going to show up on a wanted poster." The irony of Levi's past filled her mind and she glanced over at him but he looked completely neutral.

"I'm so glad you approve." She said sarcastically.

They talked for a bit longer until it was time for Levi to return to base.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, son. Maybe you can visit over the summer." They shook hands firmly.

"I don't know how things will go with my stationing, but I would love to visit." He said honestly.

Petra had to hold back a sigh, knowing by then her life would probably be in shambles.

They said goodnight and Petra went off to bed to avoid any more conversation with her father. He would be gone in the morning and she had somehow managed to pull this visit off without revealing her secret. She felt guilty but she felt like with a little more time to figure herself out she could tell him.

As she lay down to sleep she got a text from Levi.

"So, about these bad boys…" She groaned a loud.

"Levi, no." She hoped he could picture her frown.

"You know, rumor has it I used to be a bit of a bad boy myself."

"I hate you."

"Is it because I'm not bad anymore?"

"I'm going to bed."

Okay, I hope your dreams are filled with bad boys. Maybe me in my past life, I wore a lot of black. Leather jacket."

"Goodnight." She said roiling her eyes and throwing her phone down on her bed. She knew she would hear it again. As embarrassed as she was she couldn't help but let a laugh slip out before she cut off the lights and went to sleep.

Her father left the next morning, reminding her to call him and let him know whenever she got a new phone. She was proud of herself for making it through her father's visit without her secret coming out, but at the same time she was disappointed in herself for having to hide the truth. She was grateful that thanks to Levi she didn't have to utter very many lies to her father this time.

She was also happy that her father seemed to genuinely like Levi. In the past her father always hated the guys she chose to date and in retrospect she really didn't have the best judgment. However, Levi was a wonderful example that you could turn your life around with the right motivation.

The rest of the week flowed by with no surprise visits or incidents and the next thing Petra knew it was Friday. It was the end of her shift and she was casually talking with Auruo before clocking out when she received a text from Levi.

"I need to talk to you." She stared down at her phone quizzically.

"I'm off of work." She responded quickly.

"Are you still there?" She told him that she was and he said he would meet her outside in five minutes.

Confusion set in quickly, what could he need to talk to her about? It wasn't like she had done anything. The urgency unnerved her and she thought she was going to lose her mind. When he came into view she began chewing her nails subconsciously. His walk was brisk and she could instantly tell his shoulders were tense. Something had definitely set him off.

"Levi—"

"Walk with me." He jerked his head towards town and she fell into step beside him, afraid to speak until he was ready. It felt strange to walk beside him without holding his hand, she'd grown accustomed to it, but she knew it would be inappropriate right now.

They walked all the way to the docks without another word passing between them. The tense air pressed down on her and she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to calm her nerves.

Levi faced away from her and leaned against one of the supports on the dock. She watched his shoulders rise and fall in a sigh. He then took a step back and swung his fist at the support so suddenly that Petra was unable to gasp before his hand made contact with the metal.

"Levi!" She hastily approached him and grabbed ahold of his arm before he could swing for the post again. She held onto his upper arm with one hand and grabbed the injured hand with her other. His knuckles were skinned and she could already see light bruising. "What's going on?"

All the anxiety she was feeling had melted into pure concern, what could have upset him this badly?

"I found out something today." Levi made no move to return the gentle hold Petra had on his hand. She waited patiently beside him, staring at his skinned knuckles instead of his face.

"What did you find out?" She realized he was having a hard time getting the words out. Certain he wouldn't try to punch the support again she let go of his upper arm and took his bleeding hand in both of hers.

"Apparently the commander has been in constant touch with my parents." He said bitterly.

"What?" The revelation surprised her.

"I found letters when I was filing paperwork today, I think he handed me the wrong folder." His eyes were focused downward and his expression was unreadable. "Apparently since I refused to answer their phone calls or letters they went to Commander Erwin."

"Your parents have tried to contact you?" This also surprised her.

"When I first left enlisted in basic, yes." His eyes narrowed slightly. "They gave up on me. I didn't have to let them back into the life I sorted out myself."

His tone was so bitter that Petra couldn't help but frown and gently caress his hand with her thumbs.

"They don't get a say, I didn't want them to know anything. They don't deserve to know anything." He clenched his free hand into a fist and Petra was afraid he was going to try and punch the support so she reached out for his hand. She expected him to push her hand away but he allowed it to be captured, though he made no move to return her hold. "I don't know where the commander thinks he has the right to send my parents progress report. I'm an adult; they are not entitled to be in any part of my life if I don't want them there."

"They probably regret what they did, Levi." She was worried she was over stepping her bounds.

"So what if they do? Do they get to tell me that I'm nothing, will never be anything, and are sorry I was born? I don't think they should be allowed to try and take back those slanders the second I show promise. I did this without them. I fixed myself, they weren't there. They didn't even try"

"Everyone makes mistakes, Levi. I know they have to care about you, you're their son. They have to be sorry for what they did or else they wouldn't care to know how you are doing. Maybe you should try talking to them for just one conversation. If you don't like where it goes you can cut them out for good." He looked her right in the eye and she tried her hardest to stand tall.

"I already cut them out for good." He said evenly. "I don't want them back, what good would they be to me? If I understand correctly family is supposed to be there in times of strife and struggle. When I was struggling what did they do? They let go. They didn't hold on to me. They didn't even try."

"Levi." Petra's voice was strained and she didn't know what she could say to quell his pain.

"I'm fine without them." Petra wondered just who he was trying to convince.

"Levi, I-."

"It doesn't matter." He shook his head slowly, dismissing her attempt at consoling him. "I just wish I knew what the commander's angle is. He isn't the type of person to feel sympathy for someone."

"Maybe you should ask him?" Petra offered gently.

"He has to know I'm aware, I returned the file directly to him. But he won't just tell me why, trust me. I know him that much." Levi let his eyes come back into focus and his gaze softened as he looked at her. "You have to be tired. You worked all day. Let me walk you home."

She didn't really want to go but she didn't know what to say to make him stay. In the end she walked quietly beside him. They reached her door and he left her with a quiet goodbye, promising to text her later.

She hated that she couldn't take his sadness away. She couldn't even muster the courage the comfort him the way he deserved because she knew he wouldn't accept it.

He wanted to be alone now and she couldn't blame him.

He was used to dealing with things on his own.

Sinking down on couch she wished she still had his hand in hers.

The flickers of pain in his eyes haunted Petra and she wished with everything she had that she knew the magic words to make that pain fade.

As painful as her childhood had been at times she realized now how lucky she was, she had a supportive father who loved her unconditionally. She knew if she had ended up in trouble like Levi had her dad would have never given up on her.

Not even for a second.

So she understood where Levi's anger came from but at the same time she wished she could convince him to put it aside long enough to give them a chance. But she couldn't force him to make that decision.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door that pulled her from her thoughts. She flew to her feet, happy that Levi came back. She had so much she wanted to say to him even though she didn't know how to say them. Pulling the door open she froze.

The eyes she looked up into were not dark at all, they were blue. Commander Erwin Smith didn't look at her, instead he intensely scouted the room behind her.

"He isn't here." She offered warily.

"I didn't think he was." His eyes finally met her. "But now that I know he is not here I need to discuss some things with you. May I come in, Miss Ral?"

Petra took a step back to allow him to enter her apartment while trying to ignore the piercing feeling she was going to regret this.

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**Notes**: This chapter took me a lot longer to write than I thought it would. Thank you all for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors Note: **The more I read through the last chapter the less satisfied with it I became. I don't think writing while I was worn down from being sick and stressed over work was a good idea. This chapter was a lot easier to write. As always, thanks for reading and don't hesitate to point out any typos.

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**Chapter 9- Her Soldier**

She invited the commander to take a seat on the couch and asked him if he would like any coffee or tea.

"That is unnecessary." He said dismissively.

The man carried an air of power so strong it made Petra afraid to sit down in her own living room without permission. After convincing herself several times that he couldn't punish her for acting without orders she nervously sat down in the chair that sat adjacent to the couch.

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. His eyes were unfocused and he clasped his hands loudly in front of him. Petra watched him intensely, wondering exactly what had brought him here while trying to ignore how intimidatingly massive his biceps were.

"Have you spoken with Levi this evening?" Petra couldn't shake the feeling that this visit had turned into an interrogation.

"Yes sir, he met me when I got off of work."

"And what did he tell you?" When Petra hesitated he let out a sigh. "About the folder, right?"

When she tipped her head slowly in assent the commander let out another sigh.

"I'm sure he was undoubtedly irate." He muttered. "I 'm not sure how aware you are of his past."

"I think I know a fair bit." Petra found herself under his gaze and it made her unsure of everything. "I mean, I know he stayed in trouble."

"That's putting it lightly. Levi was a very troubled child. His attitude isn't nearly as nasty as it used to be, if you can believe it." Petra watched an almost fond look cross the commander's face. "But he always showed undeniable potential, it was just that no one knew where to look."

"His parents thought the worst of hm. I was the one that sat down with them when Levi was placed in military school. They just didn't understand where they went wrong, they thought they were the best parents but they couldn't see the truth. They were smothering his flame. They did nothing to motivate or cultivate his potential. He was _expected_ to do things their way. He was given no room to breathe. I came out of that interview understanding exactly where they went wrong. Levi wanted freedom."

Petra watched with wide eyes, the commander had her completely captivated with his tale.

"I've had my eyes on him for a long time. His parents thought he was too far gone. It was like they were happily passing off a problem they no longer wanted to deal with, but I accepted the challenge." His eyes hardened slightly. "I have no respect for people who give up."

Petra shifted uncomfortably, wondering if those words were also aimed at her. But when she looked at him it was he had forgotten she was in the room. He was completely locked in his thoughts.

"I still remember the first time I saw Levi. He told a kid that was almost two feet taller than him to go to hell and when the kid moved to punch him Levi pinned him in less than a minute. Like I mentioned earlier, most people would simply see a no good kid looking for a fight. But I saw intensity. He was not easily intimidated and allowed no one to look down on him"

Petra could picture Levi so clearly in her mind that she smiled subconsciously. She could clearly see the hard glint in his eyes and balled fists as he stared defiantly up at the other boy.

"He had a spark in his attitude that is not easy to defy. He may be small but he makes his presence known, I heard he was highly respected on the streets among his subpar friends. That shows leadership potential. When he got caught that last time and ended up incarcerated I heard that he refused to give up his friends. He took the fall for the whole thing to keep them out of trouble. That shows his selflessness and loyalty."

She had to admit that it was nice to see Levi in a new light. Petra couldn't help but smile at all these new things she was learning. It warmed her heart to know that someone else out there saw the good in him.

"Sure, he needed some discipline to soften his rough edges but over all I saw a tough kid who was just a little left of center. After working with him for a while I found out I was right, he is incredibly talented." Erwin straightened his posture and turned his attention to Petra fully.

"Levi has made it clear to me that you aren't going anywhere. He has also given me no reason to doubt his judgment, so I am going to trust you." His gaze was so intense it took everything Petra had not to shrink down in her chair.

"Once Levi's parents discovered he was entering the military on a serious note they attempted to contact me. I ignored them for a long while because I felt they were unworthy of attention. It irritated me that they felt they could resurface once the storm had passed, so to speak. But the more they called the more the idea to slip them information haunted me. I wanted them to know he was on the road to greatness. I wanted to show them how he shaped into a prestigious and disciplined student. I wanted them to know how well he was doing without them; how I made a man out of the mess they created."

"You wanted to show them up." Petra said quietly and Commander Smith nodded stiffly. "You're proud of Levi."

"You're a sharp girl." He decided with a small quirk of his eyebrows. "I just wanted you to know the truth, because I'm not sure I can get through to him. I know how he feels about his parents and my goal was not to disregard his feelings. I never say anything in depth to them; I just send basic progress reports. They send all these flowery letters of encouragement but I very rarely read them and I certainly don't forward them to Levi. It's a waste of paper to me."

"Levi has a lot of respect for you, commander." Petra said evenly. "He's a little stubborn but he'll come around."

"I hope so. I've come too far to lose him now." He stood up suddenly and Petra scrambled to her feet. "I'll be going now."

"Alright." Her nerves were a lot steadier than they had been when he first entered the apartment.

"Have a good night, Miss Ral."

Petra wondered where Levi was. Her head was spinning with the information she had just obtained, she didn't really know what to do with it. She wondered if she should call and tell him or leave well enough alone until Levi figured out what he wanted to do.

When she looked down at her phone there were no missed calls or text messages. With a sigh she decided to go take a shower to pass the time, she hoped Levi would contact her soon. The longer time went on the more worried about him she became.

The shower was refreshing and loosened up muscles that had grown tense throughout the day. Toweling off her hair, she entered her bedroom and let out a shriek.

Levi was stretched out on her bed. His eyes were closed but her scream caused them to snap open.

She quickly covered herself with the towel in her hand.

"How did you get in here?" She exclaimed.

"My delinquent years taught me a lot of tricks." He said with a smirk.

"You picked my lock?" He shrugged lightly and Petra crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Levi!"

"You didn't answer the phone. Then you didn't answer the door, I was concerned."

"I was just taking a shower."

"I see that now." The smirk returned to his face and Petra pointed at the door.

"Leave so I can get dressed!"

Once he left Petra dressed quickly and went out into the living room where Levi was now laying across the couch on his stomach.

She sat on the edge near his back.

"Can I look at you now?" He teased and she leaned back against him.

"No, you're comfortable. We can just stay like this." And he made no effort to move.

"I'm going to talk to Erwin." Levi said finally and in that moment Petra decided that she was holding on to enough secrets as it was. Commander Smith hadn't sworn her to secrecy and she realized this is probably what he wanted her to do.

"Levi, I need to tell you something." And she told him all about the Commander's visit. It unnerved her how still Levi was. He didn't get angry nor did Petra feel him tense up.

He just listened.

"That's just like him to rub his success all in their faces." He said a few moments after she finished her spiel. "I'm just glad to know he wasn't going soft on me."

"Looks like he's just as ruthless as ever." Petra said lightly, a little worried with Levi's neutral tone.

"I decided something else." Levi said hesitantly.

"What?"

"I'm going to talk to my parents." Petra looked over at him in surprise but his face was hidden behind his arm.

"Really?" He didn't respond and Petra knew she wouldn't get anything else out of him. She reached out and touched his hair gently and he continued to lie still.

"Not right now, but eventually. I need time to sort out how I want to handle the situation but I do know one thing: I would like for you to be with me." Petra nodded as she gently stroked his hair.

"Of course, whatever you need."

"You had a point. I'll at least give them an opportunity to speak." He said

"You don't have to do anything you aren't comfortable with, you know."

"I know, but after reading those letters and knowing what the commander has told them I would like to physically show them how well I am doing. Showing them I have a beautiful girlfriend will add to my case." Petra grinned broadly at that and moved to lean down against his shoulder.

"Your hair is wet." She could hear his frown and let out a laugh as she leaned up.

"Okay, okay. Let me go blow dry my hair then." She got up and moved to the bathroom to dry her hair. When she stepped out Levi was sprawled across her bed again, this time he had removed his jacket, boots, and uniform shirt leaving him in only a white undershirt and black slacks.

"Don't you need to… go back to base?" Petra was growing nervous for reasons she couldn't really explain.

"No, it's the weekend." He grabbed the remote and turned on the television.

"You applied for leave again?" He nodded. "Did you _really_?"

"Yes, I did. After this morning I was pretty sure I wasn't going to stay but then I show up and you're in nothing but a towel. How could I say no?"

"Ugh, Levi." She covered her face with her hands.

"You get embarrassed so easily." He chuckled. "Come on, lay down. Let's find something to watch."

Once she was comfortably situated in his arms she sighed, the weight of the day was slowly catching up with her. She couldn't believe how drained she felt.

"I can't believe the commander came here today."

"Me either, I thought I was going to get yelled at for continuing to ruin your life." Petra said sleepily against his chest.

"I told him how wrong he was about you. He seemed wary but promised he wouldn't interfere as long as I proved you really weren't a distraction."

"I can see now why he was so angry before though, he hates quitters. I'm a quitter."

"You are not a quitter, you were strong enough to see that something wasn't working for you and you put it behind you."

"That's just a really fancy way of saying 'quitter', Levi."

"Well, whatever." He traced his fingers across her shoulder lightly. "There isn't anything wrong with giving up on something that isn't benefitting you. Maybe my parents felt that way about me, but I can still be bitter."

"Levi." She sighed and looked up at him. "There is a huge difference between giving up on your child and giving up on school."

"You're starting to see it my way." He smirked and she rolled her eyes.

How did he always manage to make her feel better? With a smile she snuggled back against him, pushing away the creeping feeling that she may not get many more moments like this.

She fell asleep soon after and when she woke up the next morning the bed was empty. She eased herself out of bed and moved towards the living room. She heard soft sounds coming from the kitchen.

"Are you cooking breakfast?" She cleared her throat in an attempt to rid her voice of sleep.

"You have a fully stocked fridge." He said

"Well you're over a lot now. It gives me a reason to buy food."

"I haven't had bacon in years." He mused, standing over the pan.

"I almost can't believe you can cook."

"The military life teaches a lot of basic skills." He said, tipping his head back to look at her. "I had a random thought last night. Petra, how do you feel about joining the military?"

"Me? In the military?" She pointed at her chest. "I'm no soldier."

"There are a lot of supportive roles that are free of combat, I've done some research." Petra knew he was serious but she had a hard time processing what he was saying. "You'd have to learn basic combat skills regardless. But you never know, with a little training you might be good at fightin."g

"I don't know." She said uncertainly.

"Well, give it some thought." He said, moving the bacon over to a plate. He then grabbed a carton of eggs.

"I mean, what else is there to do besides fight?" She pulled up a stool to the island and sat down to watch him cook.

"You would be surprised. I don't know how good you are with computers but there are a lot of jobs that require technical skills. There are nurses, cooks, and drivers. They even have some positions that are a lot like secretaries with the paperwork and scheduling." He shrugged a little. "It's just a thought."

"I don't know how dad would like the idea of me in the military, I'm a girl" She said, leaning her elbows on the counter. "He's a little old fashioned."

"There are plenty of women in the service now." Levi said with a wave of his hand.

"He would also be scared of me getting hurt."

"I'm not saying you have to do this, Petra." He said looking back at her. "You need to weigh out the pros and cons yourself. It might not suit you, it was just a thought."

"We still wouldn't see each other."

"Not often." He said lightly. "At least not until we were established in our career paths. Then we could apply for the same station."

"I'll think about it."

And think she did. All the way through the delicious breakfast Levi made her she barely said a word.

Maybe she could be a soldier to.

She would be benefitting humanity as a whole, working together with others to make the world a better place and keep people safe.

The physical part of it intimidated her but it's not like she was weak, that she could admit.

The first thought that ran through her head when Levi suggested her joining the military was being able to be near him but she quickly realized that wouldn't be reality. They would be on separate paths and likely stationed far away from each other.

But that wouldn't be forever.

She tried to push Levi out of the equation because she knew she couldn't make him a deciding factor.

That afternoon they went by the café and had coffee that Petra had to go behind the counter and make because Levi didn't want any coffee that wasn't hers. It was different being there as a customer but it was relaxing to just sitting quietly with Levi as she continued to quietly contemplate.

"You've been so quiet today." He remarked.

"I've been thinking."

"I didn't realize that thinking would make you mute."

"I focus my whole brain into it, I'm sorry." She smiled softly.

"Don't be, it means you're seriously considering it." He smiled around the lid of his coffee cup.

She stood up and took a seat beside him on the small couch, sitting across from him suddenly felt too far. Leaning her head against his shoulder she sighed contently and was surprised when Levi brought a hand around to rest on her shoulder.

"I would be helping, wouldn't I? My existence would be important."

"Your existence already is important." He mused quietly. "But yes, you would be helping. Any soldier's duty is important."

"I just don't want to be a disappointment."

"I don't know why you're so hung up on that." Levi scoffed. "Your father adores you, I don't think you could let him down if you tried. He would still love and support you if you decided to be a stripper."

"Levi!" She swatted his side playfully. "I'm pretty sure he would not be supportive then."

"I really don't think it will be as bad as you think when you tell your father you dropped out of school. He wants what is best for you, most parents do." Petra frowned inwardly and snuggled closer to Levi.

Her selfishness hit her like a brick. Her father had always been there, he had gone above and beyond what most would have.

He loved her unconditionally, even the few times she drifted away from his ideals.

It almost seemed silly to her that she'd been hiding this secret from him for so long.

But she was still afraid, because he was so proud of her being enrolled in school because she was getting to do what he had never been able to do as he grew up poor supported his family.

Levi never really had that unconditional support. He didn't have the encouraging motivation. All he had was scorn and disapproval. They never asked why he strayed the way he did, they didn't try to fix it. They just gave up.

"I'm sorry." She said suddenly.

"For what?" He questioned lazily. She didn't really want to say, so she just shrugged against him lightly. As usual, he always seemed to know. "Don't be sorry that you were more fortunate than me. I know I'm bitter but at the same time I recognize that if my life hadn't gone the way it did I wouldn't have met you."

"I guess that's true." She smiled

"Then again, who knows? You like bad boys so you probably would have found me eventually anyway. You probably would have liked me better since I would have been super bad by now."

"Levi." She groaned and swatted at him again. "I like you just fine now."

"Come on, we're going to be late to the movie." He said after he let out a small laugh under his breath.

She waved goodbye to Auruo and set off hand in hand with Levi wondering silently how she managed without him in her life before.

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**Notes**: There will probably be two, maybe 3, chapters following this one and then that will be the end of it. Thank you all for reading along this far, you are all wonderful. 3


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Notes**: To the guest (forgot the name given, I'm sorry) who sent the review asking about translating this, that's fine! By all means, have at it.

**Chapter 10- Her Soldier.**

Over the next several days Petra felt like she had reached a final decision.

"I think I want to join the military." She said to Levi as they lounged lazily on the couch after a day spent taking a walk around the lake and shopping for dinner.

"Seriously?" He didn't sound surprised, more like he was inquiring about her certainty.

"Well, I mean…" She frowned. "I've thought about it a lot and I did some research on my own. I think it would be a good move for me."

"You won't be able to start basic until next term. You should start working out with me on base to get a taste of what you're in for."

"Work out with you?" She looked up at him.

"I can admit one civilian with me to the gym on base, even though I normally don't go there."

"You do know there's no way I can keep up with you, don't you?" She said, raising an eyebrow,

"You have to start somewhere, Petra. This will help you see if you're making the right decision, I promise I won't go easy on you. That way you'll be better prepared."

Petra wondered if she had ever felt more nervous in her entire life as she approached the gates to the base. She had changed into the closest thing she had to 'work out clothes' before she left work. It felt a little strange to be wearing the t-shirt and sweatpants she usually wore on her lazy days at school.

"Good afternoon ma'am, what can I help you with?" A polite young man asked when she reached the booth.

"Oh, I'm here to see Levi—"

"You're Petra Ral? I have a note here to let him know you're here." He smiled at her. "Go ahead in, I'll page them and he should meet you at the door, alright?"

"Thank you, sir." She followed the path to the door and sure enough Levi pushed the door open when she reached it.

"Hi." She greeted timidly.

"Hey." He nodded stiffly and made no move to touch her which only increased her nervousness. She followed quietly beside him and looked around as she went. It was louder inside the base than she expected. Everywhere they went there was intense laugher and shouting.

She could feel a strong sense of community as she trailed quietly through the halls. She supposed the recruits were like a family of sorts with all the ties that bound them. They were in this together. She frowned when she considered the fact that Levi didn't really fit in with his fellow recruits and wondered if it bothered him more than he let on.

"You okay?" He asked, throwing her a side long glance.

"Huh?" It took her a second to register what he had asked. "Oh, yea. I'm fine."

He nodded stiffly and turned down a hallway. She began to look around at all of the pictures on the wall, an endless series of serious faces that belonged to proud soldiers who had served their country. Petra could feel the intense sense of duty and honor as she stared at the passing faces.

Levi stopped in front of a door and though she couldn't see through it she could tell it was the gym from the clacking sounds of weights. He tugged the metal door open and held it so she could enter before him. He led her towards the back corner of the large room.

"Oh look guys, shorty's here. Finally feel like we're worthy of your presence?" Petra frowned at the offending boy and when she looked up at Levi he had focused his attention on her.

"Today I'm just going to assess how much you can do." She was surprised to see him completely ignore the boy.

"You're really just going to ignore that?" She asked in a surprised tone.

"I learned to brush aside comments like that. They only lead to trouble. Besides, someone taught me that they'll most likely be eating their jealous words someday." Levi's face stayed neutral but Petra smiled.

"That person sounds pretty smart."

"Sometimes, yea." She saw the corner of his mouth twitch and she laughed.

"Wait, shorty is actually giving out lessons? And to a pretty girl? You should train with me instead, he may be good but he'll bore you to death." Petra spun on her heels, anger set in her eyes.

"Listen, you can say all you want about me, I don't care, but leave my girlfriend alone." Levi's tone had a hard edge to it.

"Girlfriend?" The boy looked at Petra in disbelief and she nodded firmly. He put his hands up in silent defeat and went back to his workout.

"That was impressive. I've never seen you so fired up, I should have let you go." Levi mused and Petra looked down in slight embarrassment. "Go grab some of those smaller weights and we'll get to work."

By the end of their session she was so tired she couldn't stand it.

"That's twice you've impressed me today. You didn't complain once and you let me push you." He nodded in satisfaction. The gym was next to empty now and she wondered just how much time had passed. "You're a lot stronger than I thought."

She bit back the urge to complain and simply smiled in thanks.

"Levi, there you are." Commander Smith strolled into the gym and Levi instantly straightened his posture. "Ah, Miss Ral you're here as well, it's nice to see you again."

"Hello commander." she said, trying to hide her nerves.

"Do you need something, sir?" Levi asked formally.

"I was going to get you to run an errand for me but I didn't realize you had a guest."

"We're finished here. I can take care of whatever you need."

"That isn't necessary. I can just take care of it. Escort Miss Ral home and then come see me. I need to discuss tomorrow's demonstration with you."

"Yes sir." He saluted Smith fluidly and Petra thought it was the most attractive sight she'd ever seen.

"Goodnight, Miss Ral." And with that the Commander took his leave.

"Let's get you home so I can make it back before curfew." Levi said, pulling his damp tank top off.

Petra took back her previous thought: _this_ was certainly the most attractive sight she'd ever seen. She marveled at his perfectly toned torso and wondered how he'd managed to hide it for so long. He pulled a t-shirt over his head and sighed.

"I forgot my jacket. We'll have to go by my room."

"Okay." She said meekly.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea, I'm fine." She made a serious attempt to push he image of shirtless Levi out of her mind.

They had to go upstairs to reach the housing level and with every step Petra's legs screamed in protest. She pouted to herself when she realized how sore she would be in the morning but at the same time she felt a strong sense of accomplishment. At least she knew she would sleep well tonight.

All throughout the long hallway the doors were open and buzz of conversation heavily filled the air. She noticed that most rooms had two sets of bunk beds and were fairly small. Levi entered one of the rooms and Petra stood patiently by the door when she noticed there were two other boys inside.

"Hey, look man." The blond headed boy gently tapped the brunette to his right. "It's the girl from the picture."

They both looked at her and she raised an eyebrow.

"Hi, I'm Petra." She introduced herself when they continued to stare.

"Gunther." The brunette said quickly.

"Erd." The blonde boy responded.

"So, who are you?" Gunther asked curiously. "Levi's girlfriend?"

It was then that Petra saw on the bottom bunk that there was a picture of her attached to the post. She remembered taking the picture with on her phone. Levi had asked her to text it to him. He must have printed it out. The thought warmed her heart and she smiled.

"Yes, I'm his girlfriend." She said proudly.

"That explains where he's been going on weekends and why he stays out so late." Gunther grinned broadly.

"Come on, let's go." Levi said gruffly, tugging his jacket over his shoulders and walking towards the door.

"It was nice to meet you both." Petra said with a small wave, they returned the gesture and she took off after Levi down the hall. "Your room mates seem nice."

"They're pigs."

"They still seem nice." Levi gave a small grunt in response.

"Maybe." He admitted

He walked her to her doorstep, gave her a gentle kiss, and they said goodnight.

For the next month and a half she met Levi three times a week and every other weekend to train. During the time she also began learning ranks, the proper salute, and a number of other things she felt would help her get a head start.

Levi seemed pleased in his own way about her progress even though he grew progressively harder on her. She had begun filling out the paperwork for basic and became a little more confident in her decision every day.

The stress of telling her father about her decision weighed on her a lot less than she thought it would as the date drew closer. There was only a matter of weeks left before Levi would graduate and Petra would be expected to return home for summer break.

"Are you busy?" Levi text her on one of their off days.

"No, what's up?" she responded

"Meet me at the lake."

It was finally starting to warm up and small hints that spring was near had started to appear throughout the town. It was still chilly enough that Petra needed a light sweater to make her comfortable against the wind.

She neared the lake and scouted Levi out at "his spot" on the dock.

"You're in my spot." She joked, slinking up beside him.

"We can share it." Levi extended his arm and then drew her close to his side. She leaned against him and waited for him to speak. "I decided what job I want to apply for."

"Did you really?" She knew he had narrowed down his choices and that his deadline was approaching even faster than her own. "What did you decide on?"

"Special ops." He said. "I will only have to serve for five years and I can retire with full benefits, renew my contract, or take a lesser position on a base like Commander Smith did."

"Will it be dangerous?" She asked.

"Probably." He admitted. "But I am up for the challenge."

"He'll be proud of you." Petra decided with a nod.

"He's not the only reason I chose this." She could hear his frown.

"I know you didn't choose it solely because that's where he served, but he'll be proud of you anyway."

"Hm." Levi tightened his hold on her slightly.

"I'm proud of you to, you know." She nudged him lightly with her elbow. He didn't say anything, instead he moved her so she was standing directly in front of him. He stared at her for several seconds before leaning in to kiss her.

She pushed into it a little more than she usually did, hoping that Levi would sense how happy for him she was. He responded by setting his hands on her waist and pulling her flush against him to deepen the kiss.

"Maybe we should stop." Petra was breathless and a little self-conscious being out in the open.

"Maybe." He leaned his forehead against hers and gently ran his hands along her hips. "Or maybe we should go back to your apartment?"

Nervousness shot through her like a bolt of lightning. Her heart flew to her throat and it felt like it was pounding all over her body. Over the months they had been seeing each other they always stopped short of anything serious. Before now they had never even hinted at the thought of going further.

She chewed her bottom lip and tried to focus her thoughts. It wasn't like it would be her first time but it was still a big step for her—for both of them.

"Okay." She decided finally.

Later on that evening neither one of them felt like getting out of bed.

"Curfew is in an hour." He said lazily, he was lying on his back with one arm behind his head and the other around Petra's shoulders as she lay gently against his chest.

"I know." Her voice was equally as lazy.

"We haven't had dinner."

"I know." She closed her eyes.

"Shouldn't we fix something?" He asked, still making no attempt to move.

"Probably." She raised her head up a little. "I can make sandwiches so you can eat really fast and then head back."

"I wish I didn't have to go back." He dragged his fingers lazily across her bare shoulder.

"Me either." She sighed and laid her head back down. "How are we going to stand it?"

"We'll manage, Petra." He never missed a beat. "We can't worry about it right now, we need to make the most of the time we have left before we're separated."

"I know." She moved to sit up finally, pulling the sheet around her. "Let me fix you something to eat."

They ate quickly and quietly before Levi left her with a soft kiss. As soon as he was gone her mind wandered back to earlier. How _was_ she going to stand it? Now more than ever she couldn't bear the thought of not being able to see him but there was nothing she could do.

Regardless they were going to be separated very, very soon.

She was going to have to tell her dad her secret very, very soon.

She had never felt more helpless in her life.

With nothing else to do she laid down to go to sleep, wishing more than anything that Levi was there to hold her in his arms.

**Notes:** Depending on the length the next chapter may be the last, but I've planned an epilogue that I will be posting separately. Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews. You are all amazing!


	11. Chapter 11

**Authors Notes: **Your reviews make me so happy I can't even put it into words! Thank you all for your kindness.

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**Her Soldier: Chapter 11**

Petra tried desperately to straighten her hair in the mirror but no matter what she did she couldn't stop one piece of her bangs from escaping the barrette.

Her stress what at an all-time high, everything was happening at once. She almost wished she could fast-forward time to get rid of the weight on her chest.

Levi graduated from basic tomorrow.

Today he was meeting with his parents.

It surprised her when he told her the week before that he had invited them to his graduation. She really didn't want their presence to put a damper on such a happy occasion but she wasn't one to argue against Levi's decision.

"Aren't you ready yet?" He poked his head in the bathroom and she noticed his frown was harder than usual today.

"Yes, I'm sorry. My hair just doesn't want to sit right."

"It looks fine." His voice was clipped. "Let's go."

She didn't hold it against him because she knew he was nervous even though he would never admit it.

They had planned to meet at the café, Petra tried to tell him she would meet him there but he insisted on picking her up and walking there with her. She knew it was another unspoken sign that he was nervous.

He didn't hold her hand on the walk over and the closer they got the slower he walked.

"We don't have to do this, you know." Petra offered gently.

"I'm not backing down." He sped up his pace.

Petra sighed and quickly matched his pace. Once they reached the café he tugged the door open with no hesitation, holding it open for Petra. She scanned the lobby and spotted a dark haired woman who reminded her instantly of Levi sitting beside a tall man.

It surprised her to see that they were sitting at the table Levi had always chose.

She knew that she had indeed spotted his parents when she noticed Levi's gaze was trained exactly where hers was.

"Do you want me to fix you coffee?"

"Not right now." His eyes were hardened intensely.

"They don't see us yet." She noted.

Just when she had convinced herself that Levi was never going to move he took a step forward. Once they were closer his mother looked up and her face fell flat. Slowly, she lifted a hand to touch his father's shoulder to get his attention.

They both stood up.

"Levi." His mother was breathless and Levi didn't respond.

"Son, thank you for meeting with us." It surprised Petra how tall his father was, she had pictured him to be short like Levi but it seemed that he took after his mother almost completely.

"Don't call me your son." He said neutrally before sitting down and pulling Petra with him. The air grew tense as his parents slowly sat down as well.

"Who is this?" His mother gestured to Petra, trying desperately to keep a cheery attitude.

"My girlfriend." He said shortly.

"I'm Petra." She smiled warmly at the couple. They looked so ordinary and kind, it was hard to believe they were the terrible people that Levi and Erwin insisted they were.

"What a lovely girl." His father said gently.

"Yes, she is. She has encouraged me, motivated me, and kept me sane. She has done more for me in the months that we have been dating than you have in my entire life." His voice was still neutral and Petra wondered how he managed it.

His mother's smile wavered and his father grimaced.

"Levi, you know we feel awful for what we did. You have to know that." His mother's voice cracked. "It's been almost 3 years."

"I know good and well how long it's been. Three years that you haven't been there because you decided I was a problem you didn't want to handle anymore."

"You got yourself into trouble son, we couldn't help you anymore. Your little stunts almost landed you in jail!" His father had started to unravel and Petra wished she had the words to diffuse the situation. "The only thing that saved you was pity. Pity you didn't deserve."

"That part of my past is well behind me." Levi said coldly. "Since then I've aced every test the military has thrown at me. I felt accepted. They made me feel like I could be anything I wanted and they motivated me and let me choose my own direction. I've been accepted into the Special Operations unit. I have a future that I chose for myself."

"Like we didn't try to motivate you?" Levi's mother sounded hurt. "Please don't act like we didn't care about you."

"No, you wanted me to do what _you_ wanted and when I showed disinterest you punished me." Levi frowned. "All I heard out of you was how I was never going to be anyone if I didn't try harder. You had a whole agenda set in stone for me before I was born. You never considered that maybe I wanted a different future for myself. But you know what? It's okay."

Petra looked over at Levi quickly, surprised to hear the last statement leave his mouth.

"Because of you I made some bad decisions, terrible even. I ended up in trouble and pushed you harder than I probably should have. You said you were done with me and I accepted that. They said I was a menace and I got what I deserved when I was detained. I saw you agree, father. But it's okay. All of these events lead me to where I am today. I have plenty without you" He reached out and took Petra's hand. "I am proud of what I have accomplished so far and soon I will be on to even better things. I've been lucky on my own, I didn't need you."

She squeezed his hand without hesitation and looked over at him to avoid looking at his parents pained expressions.

"Levi you have to believe me when I say I'm sorry." His mother was covering her heart with her hand. "I've regretted what I said to you for years. A mother isn't supposed to give up on her child. I'm sorry we pressured you."

Levi stared at her blankly and Petra wished she knew what was going on in his head.

"I wish we could just put everything behind us and work on being a family again." His father's anger was gone. "Reading Commander Smith's progress reports were the only thing that has kept us stable, Levi. We're so proud of how strong and driven you've become."

Petra saw that Levi had clenched his teeth.

"Your father is right. We're so incredibly proud of you. I'm happy that you figured your life out on your own and that you flourished. You proved us wrong and I can admit now how terribly wrong we were. You can only push so hard before something falls." His mother was dangerously close to tears. "I know you fell away from us and we didn't try to catch you like we should have. We can never take that back, I know we can't. But if you could just try to let us back in even just a little—just give us a chance to make it up to you."

"I want to get to know the man you've become. The soldier and the gentleman you have to be to have gotten such a lovely girlfriend." His father smiled gently. "We aren't asking you to accept us back into your life 100%. We aren't asking you to come home on holidays or even call us weekly. We just want to know you."

She expected Levi to bluntly say that he didn't need them, that he had never needed them. Instead he inclined his head slightly.

"Fine, I'll accept your letters and respond occasionally." Levi said sternly. "For now."

"That's enough for me!" His mother sounded so happy that Petra couldn't help but smile.

They didn't stay with his parents for much longer. They said goodbye, promising to see them both at the graduation ceremony. His mother timidly asked if Petra would sit with them and she agreed that she would. She hoped that the decision to sit with his parents wouldn't upset Levi, but he didn't mention it once they parted.

"How do you feel?" Petra asked as they walked back towards her apartment.

"Okay." He said and she believed him though she wished he would say a little more.

"I have a lot to do tonight. I have to iron my formal uniform and finish packing." He said once they reached her door.

"Yea, I need to work on my packing a little more to." She twisted her hands nervously as she remembered the fact that she would have to confront her father in less than a week without Levi, because he would have his orders.

"I'll call you later, alright?" He leaned in to kiss his and touched her hands lightly. "It'll be okay, Petra. I promise."

She nodded and he left her alone to gather up her things.

The impending change was unsettling her. She didn't want to leave but she couldn't very well stay with Levi gone. She wished that she could just stop time from passing indefinitely. No telling her father, no Levi leaving, just the two of them together forever.

She had planned to pack up her things and talk to get father when he came to pick her up "for the summer." Then she was going to tell him that she had dropped out of college and enrolled in basic training for the army. The thought made her weak. She knew her father would be angry at her for hiding this secret for so long and for not discussing her decision with him first.

But the paperwork was turned in now.

It was a done deal.

The term wouldn't start up until August, so she hoped she would be allowed to spend the rest of the summer at home with her father if he wasn't too angry.

She sighed. As good as she was at reading people she had no idea how her father would react to this. She didn't know if he would be angry, disappointed, confused, or a combination of the three. She had never let him down before. The only thing she'd ever wanted was to be happy and for everyone else in her life to be happy as well. Yet here she was about to make her father unhappy.

She cleaned off her desk and packed away a few things in the kitchen before Levi called. She talked to him until she went to bed about nothing at all. Neither one of them wanted to mention events that they knew would only bring unrest, they were considerate of each other that way.

What was she going to do without him?

The next morning as Petra put on her dress and fixed her hair she struggled to put a smile on her face. Levi would be gone in two days. She wasn't ready to see him go, especially when they next time they would see each other was uncertain. Months would certainly lie between them, if not a whole year.

Just as she finished applying her makeup she noticed she had a missed call from her father.

She put her phone on speaker and dialed her voicemail as she put on her shoes.

"Petra, I just opened a letter from your university confirming that you terminated your academic career with them?" She sat up straight up and stared at her phone with unsteady eyes. "I see the last confirmed date of attendance was last semester. I don't know what is going on but I need you to call me back and exp—actually no. I'm on my way up there."

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**Notes**: I know this chapter is a little on the shorter side but I kept going from here and it started getting lengthy. I figured this was a good place to break it off. Next chapter will be the last along with the epilogue which I will be uploading at the same time. It should be up pretty soon, I already have a substantial part of the next chapter written. Thank you for all your support so far, you are all wonderful.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's note**: This is the last chapter, hope you enjoy.

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**Chapter 12: Her Soldier**

She felt like she might throw up and her hands started shaking. Why would the school send a notification so long after she dropped out? She knew it was probably standard procedure but the timing couldn't have been worse.

Especially considering it was Levi's big day.

If only he had received the letter tomorrow.

She reached for her cell phone and called Levi, unsure of what else she could do.

"Hello?" His voice was cool and calmed her slightly.

"Levi." She couldn't hide the panic in her voice.

"Petra?" There was a dash of concern. "What's wrong?"

"My dad, he knows." She spoke quickly. "The college sent him a letter and he knows."

"Calm down." He said harshly enough that she was able to center her thoughts. "Tell me what happened exactly."

"I missed his call because I was getting ready. He left a voicemail telling me that he's coming up here."

"When I'll skip graduation and come over—"

"Levi, no!" She exclaimed. "You can't miss graduation when you worked so hard for it. Just let me handle it."

"You don't have to do this alone Petra, I know how afraid you are." He sounded angry but she knew he was just trying to get through to her. "Besides, I'm part of the reason the lie went on for so long."

She knew that if he was there he would take the fall for it just like he did with his friends before. She couldn't let him do that, not when this was entirely her fault.

"Let's be realistic here, I probably wouldn't have told him before now anyway. I'm too much of a coward." She sighed. "You are not skipping graduation."

"And you aren't doing this alone. You were there for me and I am going to be there for you, we don't abandon each other." He said firmly.

"Look at me, I'm making a mess of your day" She frowned. "Levi, I'm sorry. Today is supposed to be happy and here I am raining on it with this mess."

"Don't apologize. This should have been handled a long time ago." He sounded gentler now. "Once you explain everything to your father you will be able to breath easier."

"I guess so." She said passively, still feeling bad for weighing down the happiness of the day. "But I still don't want you to miss graduation."

"The end result will be the same whether I am there or not." He said in a slightly aggravated tone.

"Wait! My father just called thirty minutes ago, it will take him hours to get here. We should be able to make it through your gradation before he arrives. Even if he makes it to the apartment before we do he'll have no idea where I am."

"Fine, are you on your way over then?" He asked

"I'll be heading out in a few minutes." She bent down and finished slipping on her shoes.

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit."

The entire walk to the base she worked hard to calm her nerves. Right now she was here for Levi and her father would be dealt with eventually. There was nothing she could do to fix it right now. She focused all her thoughts on Levi as she walked through the gates.

"Petra!" Hearing her name startled her and she looked around.

She spotted Levi's parents standing uncomfortably a few feet away from her.

"Oh, hello." She said with a polite smile, she had forgotten her promise to sit with them.

"Do you know where we're supposed to go and sit?" Luckily Levi had already shown her the way to the auditorium where they held ceremonies. She nodded and led the way to the building, trying her hardest not to panic.

"So, how long have you and Levi been seeing each other?" His father asked once they were sitting down close to the front of the room.

"Almost three months now." She said, still wearing her polite smile.

"He seems to really like you." His mother smiled but Petra could tell how uncertain she felt about the statement. "Does he treat you well?"

The question really threw Petra. It surprised her that his mother would ask something so straightforward. Though she guessed she only wanted to know what kind of man her son had become because all she knew was what he had accomplished.

"Yes, he's very sweet." His mother looked surprised by her answer.

"He's always been so closed off emotionally." She replied with a frown. "Even now he stills seems so cold."

"He isn't very showy with his emotions. You have to know what you're looking for, but I feel like I can read him pretty well now." Petra said proudly.

"You made the effort to read him." His mother looked down at the hands she had clasped tightly in her lap.

"He intrigued me from the moment I first saw him." She said with a half shrug. "He was so quiet and didn't invite conversation but he carried this proud air that I couldn't look away from."

"His pride got him in trouble." His father remarked. "It made him defiant."

"He made his mistakes, I know." Petra said gently. "But he has his priorities and his pride straight now. He works really hard for Commander Erwin, he's respectful and dedicated. He doesn't pick fights with other soldiers and lets their rude comments roll away. I know I didn't know him back then but from the stories I've heard he's a much better person."

"I am glad to hear that he seems a lot less angry now but I was hoping he had changed enough that he would have been more willing to forgive our transgressions." His mother said sadly.

"Give him time. It's a big step that he's agreeing to take your letters, he's bitter and he has been letting that bitterness fester while letting other things go. Now I think he is more focused on letting his bad blood with you both go." Petra said honestly.

"I hope so, because I really want to know the man he has become first hand." His father said. "Hearing about it and witnessing it firsthand are two different things."

"She's right dear; we just have to give him time."

Not long after that the graduation ceremony began. Petra smiled the second his group entered the room in their gold and blue formal uniforms. His height made him stand out and his proud stance only made him more handsome in Petra's eyes.

By the end of the ceremony Levi had collected ten awards for outstanding performance in a number of categories and Petra thought her cheeks were going to go numb from smiling so hard. His parents were also pleased and clapped enthusiastically every time his name was called. She even heard his mother lean over to tell his father that she was glad Commander Smith wasn't lying about his performance.

They announced at the end of the ceremony that Levi was going on to be a part of an elite legion of soldiers and didn't disclose witch segment. Petra wondered if she was even supposed to know herself but the thought didn't stop her cheerful clapping.

Lastly they thanked all the newly certified soldiers for their time and wished them well in their careers before formally dismissing them. Levi walked over to them immediately, which surprised her. She had never seen him look around to spot them.

"Let's go." Levi said, taking Petra's arm.

"Where are you going?" His mother asked quickly.

"There's something we need to take care of." He replied briskly, never even looking in his parent's direction.

"Isn't there supposed to be a party thrown by your superior officers?" His father asked "Are you not going?"

"There is something more important that I need to take care of." He said firmly. "You two can still attend the celebration or go home."

"Levi." Petra pulled on her arm gently to stop him.

"Petra." He sighed shortly in frustration. "Something came up this morning and I made a promise to be there. It's more important to me than a party full of people who would be wishing I wasn't there anyway."

"We'll try and get back in time for the party depending on how things go." Petra said gently. "But we really do need to go, I'm sorry."

His parents finally nodded but Petra knew they were still confused. This was something they really didn't need to know, not yet. She couldn't very well tell Levi's parents what was going on in her life before she told her own father.

On the walk over to her apartment Petra was thankful she accepted Levi's offer to be there for moral support because his hand was the only thing keeping her tethered to sanity. She had no idea what she was going to say but there was no time to write or rehearse a script.

When they reached her apartment her father was impatiently standing at the door with his phone pressed to his ear.

"Petra." His eyes narrowed slightly and he sounded annoyed to an extent that made Petra more uncomfortable. "I've been calling you for hours."

"Oh, I was at Levi's graduation ceremony. My phone was on silent." She hadn't even thought to check it.

"We need to talk."

"We do, I got your first voicemail earlier." She unlocked the door and soon they were all seated in the living room. It surprised her that her father didn't even attempt to excuse Levi.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" He asked sternly.

"I couldn't take it." She said quietly. It was simple but honest. "It was overwhelming and I thought I was going to lose my mind. Then one day I thought 'if only I could quit' and eventually I realized I could. It was like I was free again."

"Petra you should have talked to me." His voice was both gentle and scolding. "I just want to understand."

"I know how happy you were that I was going off to college. You've always worked hard to make sure that I had the opportunities that you never did and I didn't want to disappoint you. I still don't want to disappoint you." Her eyes had welled up dangerously. "All I wanted to do was make you happy but I've let you down."

"Petra, you dropping out of college doesn't disappoint me. Your happiness is what is most important. What disappoints me is that you hid it from me and lied to me for so long." He frowned and Petra had to look away from him.

"You always told me you wanted me to be happy and successful." Petra's voice had grown strained under the weight in her throat.

"That's exactly right. College doesn't guarantee success. I never went to college and look at me. I had to work harder when I was younger but in the end I was able to retire early. Didn't I ever tell you that your mother dropped out of school?"

"She did?" Tears had started escaping her eyes and she felt Levi's hand come to rest gently on her forearm.

"Yes, because a teacher told her that with her technique she would never be taken seriously as a chef." He was smiling slightly at the memory.

"But mom worked at a four star restaurant." She finally turned her gaze back to her father while wiping tears away with the back of her hand.

"Exactly, she started out at that place as a waitress and worked her way up. She didn't need the credentials once she showed her true talent." He sighed. "I just wish you had talked to me, Petra. There was no reason to hide this from me for so long."

"I just never wanted to disappoint you, ever. I thought you were going to be so angry with me." She tried to hold back her tears. "Levi tried to convince me that you wouldn't be disappointed and that I should just talk to you but I was so scared."

"Did he, now?" His father smiled at Levi, acknowledging him for the first time. "You're my little girl Petra; there isn't much you can do that I won't forgive."

She wondered if now was the time for her to bring up the military to her father, the last bomb she needed to drop.

"Then let me tell you what I've decided to do." She straightened her posture and looked her father straight in the eyes. "I've decided to join the military."

"What?" He looked a little surprised, but his reaction was nothing like Petra had imagined it would be.

"I know I probably should have talked to you about it first, but I've already enlisted for basic training. I felt like I would be able to tell you what I had done if I had a plan for my future in place to ease the disappointment." Petra tried to steel her nerves but the longer her father stayed quiet the more nervous she became.

"That's a big commitment. Did you think it through?" He asked evenly.

"For a long time." She said. "I think it would be a good fit for me. There are so many opportunities and I'll be helping people."

"Okay then." he said while wearing a small smile on his lips.

"Really?" She blinked a few times.

"It's your life, I want you to live it in whatever way you want as long as you are happy and fulfilled." He said. "Sure, I'll be worried about you but that's my job."

"Thanks dad." She said lamely, her brain was still processing how well this was going.

"It's a little funny though." Her dad chuckled and Petra threw him a confused look. "You were afraid to tell me about school because you knew it was an opportunity I never had yet here you are enlisted in the military, which was another opportunity I wanted but could never take."

"I thought about that to, a little. I hoped it might help with the anger and disappointment." Petra said honestly.

"I'm not upset with you, Petra. I'm just glad you told me what was going on." He looked over at Levi. "Congratulations on graduating today."

"Thank you, sir." Levi said formally. Petra could sense the tension coming from Levi. She wondered if he was afraid of what else her father might say to him.

"Two soldiers in the family, wait until I tell your uncle." Her father grinned and Petra felt her face heat up.

"Dad!"

"I'm just predicting the future Petra, don't mind me." He teased and it put Petra at ease.

Once everything was settled they invited her father to attend the party. To their surprise Levi's parents were there waiting and Petra's dad excused them so he could 'mingle with the in-laws.'

"There's the commander over there." Levi said, leading Petra to him. "We were supposed to meet with him after the ceremony."

"We?" She was confused as he pulled her along. "Why didn't you tell me that? Isn't he going to be mad we didn't show up?"

"Yes, both of us. I don't know what he wanted but dealing with your father was more important. The commander probably thinks we went to make out somewhere."

"That's even worse." She whined, her face turning pink.

"Ah, Levi. I was wondering where you had gotten off to. Good evening Miss Ral." He nodded.

"Hello Commander." Petra said with a smile.

"There's someone I would like for you to meet, Petra." Commander Smith said. "Just one moment."

He came back and the person he brought with him immediately shook Petra's hand with enough force that her teeth clacked together.

"I'm Hanji Zoe, I served with Commander Smith and he told me about you." Hanji's enthusiasm easily brought a smile to Petra's face. "I'm going to be head over your basic training squad; I'm looking forward to working with you."

"It's nice to meet you." Petra said and Hanji gave her a satisfied nod before clasping Levi on the shoulder.

"Nice job up there today, you took home more than half of the awards." Hanji grinned.

"Hmm." Was all he said and Petra could sense his annoyance. It seemed to Petra that his annoyance only made Hanji's smile brighter.

"Well, I'll let you two love birds get back to mingling. See you in a few months Petra!" and Hanji let them go.

The rest of the party went by quietly, with Petra leaving with her father and Levi saying an awkward goodbye to his parents.

For the first night in a long time Petra was able to sleep soundly, the stress was gone and only slight sadness remained.

It wouldn't be long before Levi was gone.

Petra's father left the next morning and she spent the rest of the time she could with Levi but finally the morning came to say goodbye.

"I really wish you wouldn't cry." Levi said with furrowed brows, he wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. She buried her face in his neck.

"I can't help it." Her voice was muffled in his collar. "You're leaving.

"I'll call you when I get there and we'll figure out video chatting." He said, rubbing circles gently against her back.

"You know." She laughed a little. "I used to call you my soldier back when I didn't know your name. That feels like centuries ago now."

"Well," He drew Petra away gently. "Looks like you get to be my soldier to."

As she leaned up to kiss him, she smiled through her tears. She knew she was strong enough to make this work. Sure, they would be apart for a while—longer than they'd been together. But she knew that time was only time, it was certainly an inconvenience but that's all it was.

It wouldn't change anything.

In the end she would have her soldier and nothing would stand in her way.

**-END-**

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Notes: I don't have enough words to express how thankful I am for all the reviews and favorites I have gotten on this story. You are all phenomenal! Thank you so much.


	13. Epilogue

**Author's note**: I wrote most of these scenes a while ago when I was brainstorming the story and it gave me the idea to do the epilogue like this.

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**Her Soldier: Epilogue**

She couldn't remember the last time she had been this nervous, if ever.

Honestly, she hadn't even been this nervous when she told her father she dropped out of college.

She'd woken up early, made sure her uniform was ironed and her hair neatly pulled back.

This was the day she'd been awaiting for months, the first day with her unit.

She'd worked hard to get here.

The door opened and the room fell silent.

She straightened her posture even though it was already perfect and kept her eyes at attention.

The three superior officers entered her peripheral vision and found herself catching her breath. They passed by her and their faces were completely neutral.

"Welcome to Special Operations." The voice sent chills down her spine.

It was a voice she hadn't heard in person since the day he left.

Levi hid his surprise well as he'd passed her and it was hard to hide her smile as he stood only a few feet away from her.

Petra hadn't told him where she placed, claiming she wanted to build suspense.

He was curious, but didn't push her.

"_I'll tell you Sunday after my first day."_

"_I'll be busy Sunday. You know I meet with my new recruits then."_

"_Fine, we'll try and talk Monday then." She had said in an annoyed tone. _

But now he knew.

At first she didn't think she would have what it took to enter the Special Operations Task Force but Hanji insisted that she could do it.

Hanji was a fantastic motivator.

"_As long as you're doing this for yourself and not Levi." She warned. "You can do anything you put your mind to, don't think you're handicapped just because you're a girl."_

It took her a lot of endurance training but she made it. She was the only girl out of all the new recruits and that just made her prouder.

The meeting continued for a while, a long list of expectations and regulations but eventually they were dismissed.

Petra was only in the hallway for a matter of seconds before she felt someone pull her hand and drag her into a side room.

There were no words passed between them, they simply crashed their lips together.

"You think you're clever don't you?" He asked while assaulting her lips.

"Shouldn't I?"

"I never imagined you applied here—I should have known when you didn't tell me. If I was up a couple of ranks higher I would have seen your damn application." He kissed her hard.

"I can't decide if you're mad or glad to see me." She teased.

"Don't worry you'll get your punishment later." He leaned his forehead against hers. "All of a sudden these four years feel like they might be manageable."

"Miss me?" She said with a grin.

"Shut up, Ral." And she brought her lips back down on his.

* * *

"Levi? You didn't tell me you were coming." Petra's father said when he opened the door.

It had been a few months since Levi had completed his tour with the special operations unit and now he was trying to settle into civilian life.

"I had the weekend off from work." He'd decided to retire to training new units on base like Erwin and Hanji after having too many close calls in the field. It was fulfilling work but not worth the risk involved when he had more that he wanted to accomplish in his life. "There is something I wanted to ask you."

"Well come on in, son." His father stepped back and let Levi in the house. "Have you heard from Petra lately?"

"I got a letter in the mail the other day; I think she's ready to get back. The heat is killing her over there." Levi said, sitting down on the couch.

"Well in a few months she'll be home for good, hmm?" Her father smiled and sat down in the recliner. "What was it you wanted to ask me?"

"Well, sir-"

"You haven't called me sir in a long time, this must be serious." Her father chuckled and leaned back in his chair.

"I've been thinking since Petra will be home soon that it's time to do something I've been wanting to for a while. I know how traditional you are and I wanted to ask you if I may have your daughter's hand?" He sat up straight and stared earnestly at her father.

"Son, you've had more than that for a long time. Petra loves you and a father who would deny their child that sort of happiness is a fool. Of course you can marry her- you didn't even have to ask. You're already family." Levi let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. "Now make sure you get my daughter the ring she deserves, I know how much money you make. Only the best for Petra."

"Of course, sir." They both laughed at his joke and Levi wished he could speed up time so Petra would be home.

* * *

"Dear, don't make them carry their luggage they came a long way." Levi's mother said with a frown, trying to pull Petra's suitcase out of her hand.

"They wouldn't let me carry them, must be some kind of military thing." His father threw his hands up in exasperation.

"You don't need to carry anything with your bad back." Levi said firmly.

"I'm so glad you two decided to come spend Christmas here with us." His mother said happily. "Especially since it would have been your first Christmas in your new home."

"We decided that next year we would stay home." Levi said shortly.

"Because next year it'll be a little harder for us to travel." Petra said gently, grinning despite herself.

"Why? Are you going back on tour?" His father sounded panicked and Levi's mother froze as the realization hit her.

"Dear, no. That's not it." She hugged Petra with tears in her eyes. "Oh Petra, Levi."

"What am I missing here?" Levi's father asked as he watched his wife.

"We're going to be parents." Levi said with a small smile and his father's eyes widened.

"A baby?"

"That's typically what makes someone a parent." He said flatly and everyone laughed.

It took years but all the problems in their lives eventually worked themselves out. Levi became one of the fastest rising and well respected soldiers in the military. He had a reputation for being hard and cold which always made Petra smile because she knew how much those in his squad meant to him deep down.

Petra wasn't as successful as Levi but she was well liked by everyone else in the squad. They all teased that she was like their mother the way she worried after them and made sure they ate as well as brought them coffee.

Over time Levi was able to work out his issues with his parents and eventually two families became one with room to grow.

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**Notes**: That's it! Thank you guys for all the support, you're all sweet and amazing.


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